The Making of the Doha Deal with Taliban and the Future Prospects

Afghanistan Between Negotiations: How the Doha Agreement Will Affect Intra-Afghan Peace
By Andrew Quilty Sunday, July 5, 2020, LAWFARE Blog

Excerpts

Trump entered office promising to end the war in Afghanistan, but former military generals serving on his national security team convinced him to change course. In his August 2017 South Asia Strategy, he vowed to throw the full weight of U.S. military, economic and diplomatic power into bringing an end to the war. The rate of U.S. airstrikes spiked immediately, and in both 2018 and 2019, the U.S. Air Force conducted more airstrikes than in any other year since 2001. The Taliban suffered severe personnel losses countrywide.

The pressure may have prompted a February 2018 open letter from the Taliban calling on the United States to reassess its policies toward Afghanistan. Although by no means a surrender, the letter offered renewed hope for diplomacy.

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Also See:

Despite Bloody Week In Afghanistan, U.S. Pushes Taliban Peace Talks Forward - NPR

Afghan Negotiators to Taliban: Let’s Start the Peace Talks - USIP

Afghanistan: Background and U.S. Policy:In Brief - Congressional Research Service
How the US and Afghanistan can jump-start talks with the Taliban - Aljazeera

A Failed Afghan Peace Deal - Seth Jones, Council on Foreign Relations