APD | Afghanistan: US to withdraw 5000 troops in 135 days

By APD writer Rishika Chanhan

The chief US negotiator in Afghanistan, Zalmay Khalilzad, said on Monday that the US would withdraw 5000 troops and shut down its five bases in the next 135 days.

He made the announcement while sharing the details of the draft peace accord with insurgent groups. However, the deal which was negotiated in the last two months has not yet been approved by the US President Donald Trump.

Khalilzad said, “In principle, we have got there.” “The document is closed,” he added.

According to the provisions of the deal, after the US withdrawal, Taliban will make sure that the territory of Afghanistan is not used by terrorist organizations like al Qaeda and Islamic State as a base for attacks on the US and its allies.

The US withdrawal would take place in phases. Khalilzad informed that the objective of the deal was to end the war and stop the violence. The ceasefire agreement will be negotiated by the people of Afghanistan themselves.

Afghanistan’s President Ashraf Ghani will also go through the details of the deal and will share his opinion in the coming days.

（ASIA PACIFIC DAILY）