Washington bargains withdrawal from Afghanistan with Taliban on 19th anniversary of US invasion

Amin Alemi
Press TV, Kabul

The US has claimed that its main goal in invading Afghanistan has been uprooting terrorism and bringing political and economic stability. But, nearly two decades later, facts on the ground demonstrate something different.

The failures of US to achieve its stated goals have prompted Washington to make a peace deal with the Taliban militant group almost after nineteen years of intense fighting.

In 19th anniversary of US invasion of Afghanistan, one of President Ghani's top advisers tweeted that "19 years ago on the same day, the Operation Enduring Freedom began by the US to oust terrorists .19 years later - nowadays- the US is bargaining with the Taliban on the withdrawal of its forces . Who is the winner and who is the loser of this war?"

The US-Taliban peace deal was signed in February, followed by the launch of an intra-Afghan dialogue between the Taliban and the Afghan government. Now, politicians in Kabul urge all Afghans to strongly back the government's agenda for peace talks to avoid further foreign interference in the Afghan peace process.

America's longest war in Afghanistan has not only brought instability to the region but also imposed heavy casualties on both the American and the Afghan sides.

Official figures show that more than 100,000 Afghans have been killed or wounded since the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan began documenting casualties in 2009. The US war in Afghanistan has also claimed the lives of over 3,000 US troops.

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