America signs historic agreement with Taliban

Joel Gehrke reports in the Washington Examiner,

American and Taliban officials signed a historic agreement Saturday that sets the table for a reduction of U.S. forces in Afghanistan and unprecedented negotiations between the militant group and the central government.

“We're just at the beginning,” Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said prior to the signing of the deal in Doha, Qatar. “Furthering the cause of peace would require serious work and sacrifice by all sides.”

The ceremony took place following the successful conclusion of a seven-day “reduction in violence” deal. The essence of the agreement involves a renunciation of terrorism by the Taliban, which sheltered Osama bin Laden and al Qaeda in the lead-up to the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, and the start of peace talks in exchange for a gradual American withdrawal from the country.

“It doesn’t happen immediately,” a senior administration official said of the plan to cut the American troop presence down to 8,600. “It takes a while to get out. It’s not going to happen overnight. But that is the commander on the ground’s recommendation, that is the president’s intention, and that’s in the agreement.”

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