U.S. proposal on pulling out troops from Afghanistan

General Studies- II (India and its neighborhood- relations)


Editorials In-Depth

02 April 2021


As the May 1 deadline for pulling out all American troops from Afghanistan nears, United States President Joe Biden faces some difficult decisions.

U.S.-Taliban agreement:

The U.S.-Taliban agreement signed in February 2020 to withdraw the last of the around 2,500 American Marines stationed in Afghanistan.

The agreement was meant for “Bringing Peace to Afghanistan” enabling the US and NATO to withdraw their troops, which has been a longstanding demand of the Taliban.


Key features of the agreement:

  • The withdrawal of US troops along with bringing down NATO or coalition troop numbers within 14 months from when the deal was signed.
  • The main counter-terrorism commitment by the Taliban is that “Taliban will not allow any of its members, other individuals or groups, including al-Qaeda, to use the soil of Afghanistan to threaten the security of the United States and its allies”.

Option for U.S. in Current Scenario: 

  1. The U.S. could abide by the promise made in the U.S.-Taliban agreement signed in February 2020 to withdraw the last of the around 2,500 American marines stationed in Afghanistan, but Mr. Biden has said it would be tough given the levels of violence there.
  2. The U.S. could negotiate with the Taliban for an extension of the agreement, offering other incentives like the release of more prisoners and the delisting of sanctioned Taliban terrorists, although the Taliban has thus far rejected that suggestion.
  3. The other option is that the U.S. could scrap the 2020 agreement and back the Ashraf Ghani government to continue towards a negotiated settlement, even as U.S. troops remain in Afghanistan to stabilise the security situation.

What is the U.S. likely to do?

During his recent visit to Delhi, U.S. Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin said an extensive review of the U.S.’s plans for Afghanistan is still under way and that “no decision on the length of stay or troop numbers have been made to this point”.

At a press conference, Mr. Biden said:

  • He did not foresee U.S. troops staying in Afghanistan “for a long time” or until 2022.
  • Adhering to the May 1 commitment at this point would be “hard”.
  • No U.S. troops have been targeted by Taliban militants in the past year.
  • But, violence against Afghan civilians, particularly women, journalists, students and activists has gone up manifold, and despite the peace agreement, more than 3,000 civilians were killed in 2020.

What is the Afghan government’s stand?

The Trump administration held direct talks with the Taliban, excluding the government. The Ghani administration has consistently been critical of the U.S.’s direct outreach to the Taliban.

  • Later, Washington put pressure on Kabul to release Taliban prisoners as part of an agreement it reached with the insurgents.
  • During the Doha talks between the Taliban and the Afghan government were under way, Mr. Ghani made it clear that he, as elected President, is the only legitimate representative of the Afghan people and he resisted making concessions to the Taliban.
  • He said recently “My power rests on my legitimacy”, “The moment that legitimacy is gone, the whole thing implodes.”

Afghan Vice President Amrullah Saleh, a hardline critic of the Taliban, said the “U.S. can make a decision on their troops, not on the people of Afghanistan”.


What are other platforms?

  • Apart from the intra-Afghan negotiations in Doha, the U.S. revealed this month that it has been part of a “Troika” with Russia and China that have met several times since March 2019 along with Pakistan in search of a regional solution.
  • The extended Troika met last on March 18 in Moscow, where Turkey, Qatar and Afghan and Taliban leaders were also invited.
  • In his letter, Blinken proposed another mechanism for regional envoys to be led by the United Nations, which would include India and Iran as well.
  • The next round of intra-Afghan Negotiations will be hosted in Istanbul in April, according to Mr. Blinken’s proposal.

What is President Ghani’s plan?

Mr. Ghani has proposed his own peace plan.

It would involve a full ceasefire, inviting the Taliban to participate in early elections in Afghanistan, and then for Mr. Ghani to hand over power to the elected government.

Afghan govt said:

  • No regional talks could be successful if they did not include India, which is a development partner and a stakeholder.
  • The Troika meet in Moscow that did not include India, ostensibly due to objections from Pakistan and China, a mistake.

Where does India stand?

  • India’s position has been to back an “Afghan-owned, Afghan-led, Afghan-controlled” peace process, backing the elected government in Kabul.
  • It has not yet held talks with the Taliban directly.
  • As a result, its option remains to stand with the Ghani government and support the constitution that guarantees a democratic process and rights of women and minorities, over any plans the Taliban might have if they come to power.

At the same time, India has not foreclosed the option of talking to the Taliban if it does join the government in Afghanistan.

The government has not yet announced a special envoy on Afghanistan, who could be a part of the UN-led process for regional countries, but it has made it clear that it seeks to be an integral part of the process, as the outcomes will have a deep impact on India’s security matrix as well.

Source: the Hindu


Leave a Reply