Trump expresses optimism for US peace deal with Taliban

| February 24, 2020


President Donald Trump, with first lady Melania Trump, wave as they walk across the tarmac to board Air Force One during their departure, Sunday, Feb. 23, 2020, at Andrews Air Force Base, Md. Trump is traveling to India. (Alex Brandon/AP)

I’m guardedly optimistic. Both the Taliban and the U.S. are calling on their forces to be prepared to use self-defense only, and Taliban fighters have been prohibited from going to enemy areas.

The United States and the Taliban agreed to sign a peace deal next week that could end 18 years of war in Afghanistan.

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump said Sunday he’s ready to sign a peace deal with the Taliban in Afghanistan if a temporary truce holds in America’s longest war. “Time to come home,” he said.

“They want to stop. You know, they’ve been fighting a long time. They’re tough people. We’re tough people,” Trump told reporters as he left the White House for a trip to India. “But after 19 years, that’s a long time.”

The two sides earlier this month announced the truce, which took effect last Friday and set the stage for a broader deal aimed at ending 18 years of war in Afghanistan and bringing U.S. troops home.

If the truce proves a success, it will be followed by the signing of the peace accord on Saturday, wrapping up the United States’ longest-running conflict and fulfilling one of Trump’s chief campaign promises.

“We think they want to make a deal. We want to make a deal. I think it’s going to work out. We’ll see,” Trump said.

If this works out, another promise kept. Read the entire article here: Breitbart

Category: Afghanistan, GWOT, Taliban, Trump!

20 Comments
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
David

I have no doubts our centrally commanded forces can stand down. Their diffused and loosely defined command structure I am told is more of a collection of minor warlords… I have less confidence in them.

Docduracoat

I am not military
I have been following the Afghan war closely
As a civilian interested in military affairs, I think our generals should be ashamed of themselves.
Our efforts at building national armies during my lifetime have all been utter failures.
I can remember Vietnam, Iraq and Afghanistan.
All resulted in defeat after spending literally billions and shedding lots of American blood.
I am in favor of pulling our troops out whether this lull in fighting is successful or not.

Old tanker

You should have stopped right after you wrote, “I am not military”. It is patently obvious you read “something” but lack any real understanding. If you had rwead history for comprehension you should already know the military follows it’s civilian commander (the President) and follows the orders of same. It is the politicians who decides where the Generals send troops and what they will do. If you want to be offended about it blame the real source of the issues, the politicians.

A second point. You should have followed an old saying. It is better to be silent and thought a fool rather than to open ones mouth (in your case keyboard) and remove all doubt. You removed any doubt about it. Now please STFU about things you really don’t have any knowledge of or understanding about.

11B-Mailclerk

On the other hand, that Constitution I swore to support and defend says he has as much right to run his yap as anyone else.

Huh.

I happen to agree that there was a shortage of Generals willing to say “Sir, this ain’t gonna work.” and “Sir, what is Victory for this war and how far do we go to get it?”

Not career enhancing, but squarely in the lane of “Duty, Honor, Country”.

timactual

I have some military experience (not that it matters) and I agree with D. The military has done its share in contributing to the various clusterfumbles he mentioned. One of the functions of the JCS is to advise the Pres. and the rest. Sometimes it is bad advice. Lyndon Johnson, for example, did take advice from his generals. That’s why our presence in Vietnam grew to about 500,000 men; Westmoreland et al. advised him he needed that many men to win.

Just for grins I would also add that Abu Ghraib was not started or run by politicians.

5th/77th FA

There will be peace in that neck of the woods when the last two standing kill one another with a rock.

penguinman000

This. War is the national sport in Afghanistan We’ve got football/basketball/baseball season. They have the fighting season.

Maybe after this one the folks in the 2 and 3 shops will figure out the Marshall plan is not a realistic desired end state 100% of the time. Clear, hold, build my ass.

Comm Center Rat

The CEOs of Lockheed Martin, KBR, GD, Northrup Grumman, Raytheon, Harris, Boeing, et al. will collectively tell the Pentagon and White House when the war in Afghanistan is over.

26Limabeans

Yes they will…..and my pension check
will arrive on the 1st just like always.
Ike is spinning in his grave.

akpual

Dammit I hit report by mistake. Sorry

Slow Joe

OMG, I just realized, Bernie Sanders’ initials stand for Bull Shit!

Had this discussion before, Slow Joe. Stay in visual range of the post at hand or your comment may well disappear. There’s a perfectly good Bernie post already up.
Last warning.
AW1

11B-Mailclerk

I am wondering how much flack will be directed at Trump “the warmonger” for exiting Afghanistan, versus the pass given to the prior “peace” president who wouldn’t walk away from Afghanistan, and dipped his feet into so many other war-messes.

Kudos to Trump for exiting that mess. The US folk have no stomach for what Victory requires there. Endless no-win is dumb.

Mason

Wait, the Afghans only have to stop shooting at us for eight days and we’ll leave them to their own devices? Friday to the following Saturday. That’s all they need to do and they can turn it into whatever shithole they and Iran can make it. Eight days.

I’m not going to hold my breath. This is like the Palestinians and their alleged desire for peace. They’ll fuck it up. Or the cease fire will be violated (probably repeatedly), but we’ll say it was honored and our troops that were shot at were attacked by “rogue elements.”

penguinman000

The entirety of that country is the very definition of decentralized. Not a single person 50km outside of Kabul gives 2 shits about the governments decision.

But lets keep trying to force a square peg in a round hole. It’s paid lots of dividends so far.

11B-Mailclerk

Iran getting sucked into that mess? Be still my heart.

Martinjmpr

Time to do what the Soviets had the sense to do in 1989: Declare “victory” and then get out.

WRT Afghanistan, I’d echo what Otto von Bismarck said about the Balkans “not worth the bones of a single Pomeranian grenadier.”

(Side Note: It’s fun to look up Bismarck quotes on the internet. I think he was more astute, cynical and pithy than even H.L. Mencken.)

Martinjmpr

BTW I’m currently shopping for a T-shirt that reads: “AFGHANISTAN VETERAN: We were winning when I left.”

A Proud Infidel®™

They’ll be right back to hacking each others’ heads off as soon as the spring thaw hits.

timactual

Why are we over there? Oh, right, to bring Democracy and freedom to them. About that Democracy thing, Afghanistan had elections five months ago. The results are now official, but the loser calls it “national treason” and the US says the elections need to be reviewed. Five (5) months ago. After 20 years the results are in, and we should be out; NOW.

https://freebeacon.com/national-security/u-s-will-not-endorse-outcome-of-contested-afghan-elections/