Taliban and Washington Disagree on Afghanistan Troop Withdrawal, Reports Reuters

Moscow/Washington – A Taliban official stated on Wednesday that the United States had pledged to withdraw half of its troops from Afghanistan by the end of April. However, U.S. representatives indicated that no specific timeline had been established.

President Donald Trump announced on Tuesday that his administration is speeding up negotiations for a political resolution in Afghanistan, suggesting that troop reductions could occur as discussions progress toward concluding America’s longest-running conflict.

U.S. and Taliban representatives met in Qatar in January and are scheduled to reconvene this month.

Taliban official Abdul Salam Hanafi reported that last month, the U.S. had communicated plans to withdraw half of its forces between early February and the end of April.

In response, a spokesperson from the U.S. State Department clarified that no agreement on troop reduction timelines has been made. She added, “If all parties do what is necessary to prevent Afghanistan from being used as a platform for terrorism, we are open to evaluating changes in troop presence as conditions permit.”

Additionally, a U.S. official mentioned that further discussions are required regarding demands for a Taliban ceasefire before any withdrawal can be executed.

During their visit to Moscow, Taliban officials held talks with Afghan opposition leaders, including former President Hamid Karzai. The current Afghan government has expressed concerns that these discussions are not in the nation’s best interest.

Hanafi claimed that during negotiations, there had been consensus that all foreign troops would eventually leave and that Afghanistan would not serve as a launching point for attacks on the United States.

He also stated, "The timeline for the withdrawal will be addressed in future meetings."

In December, a U.S. official revealed that Trump was considering withdrawing over 5,000 of the 14,000 troops stationed in Afghanistan.