18 years have passed, and Kabul and its US allies have failed to destroy the Taliban. Finally, it seems like serious peace talks are beginning, but war remains and any peace would likely include Talibani power in Afghanistan. This is a moment for the US to reflect on its true goals.
Sources/Notes
Sources:
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Territorial control:
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Prior Afghan-Taliban meetings
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February 2019 – informal afghan-taliban meetings: https://www.rferl.org/a/taliban-afghan-delegation-say-talks-to-continue/29756223.html
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2015: https://www.reuters.com/article/us-afghanistan-taliban/taliban-afghan-officials-hold-peace-talks-agree-to-meet-again-idUSKCN0PI0DX20150708
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Timeline of US-Taliban peace talks: https://geopoliticalfutures.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/WG_Afghanistan-talks-2019.jpg
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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Negotiations_between_the_Taliban_and_the_United_States
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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taliban#Afghan_Civil_War_(1992%E2%80%931996)
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Troop levels in Afghanistan
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Peak of surge: https://ca.reuters.com/article/topNews/idCABRE84J02C20120521?sp=true
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US troop levels Iraq
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Over time: https://fas.org/sgp/crs/natsec/R44116.pdf
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5,200 US soldiers in Iraq: https://foreignpolicy.com/2019/03/20/iraq-prepares-to-evict-u-s-troops/
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