US-Taliban truce could lead to deal to end long-running war

THE United States and the Taliban have agreed to a temporary truce that, if successful, would open the way for a deal that would bring American troops home from Afghanistan and end 18 years of war.

The peace deal would call for negotiations between Afghans on both sides of the conflict to start next month, an eventual countrywide ceasefire, and a commitment from the Taliban not to harbour terrorist groups like al Qaeda, while setting a timetable for the withdrawal of US troops.

The truce marks a milestone in efforts to end America’s longest-running conflict and fulfil US President Donald Trump’s campaign pledge to bring troops home from foreign conflicts. But prospects for a real and lasting peace remain unclear.

Details were provided separately yesterday by a senior US official and a Taliban official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity. The US official said the agreement for a seven-day ‘‘reduction in violence’’ covered the entire country.

The official said the Taliban had committed to a halt in roadside and suicide bombings as well as rocket attacks.

If the Taliban upheld its commitments, a US-Taliban peace agreement would be signed within 10 days.

The Taliban official said the signing had been tentatively scheduled for February 29, with the start of the Afghan talks planned for March 10. Germany and Norway had offered to host the talks, but there has been no decision on the venue.

He said the agreement would provide for the release of 5000 Taliban prisoners before the start of the negotiations.

For the Taliban, the proposal represents a way to gain the political legitimacy they never had in the late 1990s, when they first came to power.

To make good on its promise to release Taliban prisoners, Washington is going to need the cooperation of Afghan President Ashraf Ghani, who has been critical of the way US envoy Zalmay Khalilzad has conducted the talks with the Taliban, complaining about being kept in the dark.

Ghani has also bickered with his partner in the current Unity Government, Abdullah Abdullah, over who will represent Kabul at the negotiating table.

US officials have not publicly spelled out their timetable for an initial drawdown of US troops in Afghanistan.