“So far,” a deal among the U.S., the Taliban and the Afghan government to reduce violence “is working,” according to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.
But, Pompeo said, the U.S. will only sign an agreement with the militant group to withdraw American troops if that reduction holds until Saturday and is declared a success.
While the top U.S. diplomat hailed the temporary reduction as a “historic opportunity for peace,” there are strong doubts about what comes next for Afghanistan, nearly 20 years after the U.S. invasion toppled the Taliban government that harbored the al Qaeda operatives responsible for the Sept. 11 attacks. This comes after years of gains in equality and economic empowerment for women, as well as of devastating violence across the country.
