Decision To Withdraw From Afghanistan Blindsided Everyone
On February 29, 2020, the USA signed an agreement with the Taliban agreeing to the following:
1. The US will completely withdraw from Afghanistan by May 1, 2021.
2. As a gesture of good will, the Afghan government will release 5,000 Taliban POWs, in March of 2020.
3. Negotiations will being between the Taliban and the Afghan Government with the goal of achieving some sort of power sharing agreement.
The agreement was filed with the UN.
The 5,000 Talibans were released by the Afghan government.
Negotiations between the Taliban and the Afghan government began.
The US changed the withdrawal deadline to end of August 2021. This was to give the Afghan government more time to prepare and for the US to close some of the loopholes of the initial hurried agreement, most importantly arranging for a third party that's capable and willing to take control of the Kabul airport to guarantee diplomatic safety and freedom of movement (Turkey accepted that role).
In addition, the US started withdrawing its troops and equipment, completing most of it by June of 2021.
Yet, it seems as if no one at Fox News, SW Trumpland, or the Ghani entourage (who was at the White House in August to discuss the withdrawal), or the GOP leadership had a clue that this was coming. Amazing.
1. The US will completely withdraw from Afghanistan by May 1, 2021.
2. As a gesture of good will, the Afghan government will release 5,000 Taliban POWs, in March of 2020.
3. Negotiations will being between the Taliban and the Afghan Government with the goal of achieving some sort of power sharing agreement.
The agreement was filed with the UN.
The 5,000 Talibans were released by the Afghan government.
Negotiations between the Taliban and the Afghan government began.
The US changed the withdrawal deadline to end of August 2021. This was to give the Afghan government more time to prepare and for the US to close some of the loopholes of the initial hurried agreement, most importantly arranging for a third party that's capable and willing to take control of the Kabul airport to guarantee diplomatic safety and freedom of movement (Turkey accepted that role).
In addition, the US started withdrawing its troops and equipment, completing most of it by June of 2021.
Yet, it seems as if no one at Fox News, SW Trumpland, or the Ghani entourage (who was at the White House in August to discuss the withdrawal), or the GOP leadership had a clue that this was coming. Amazing.
