On February 29, 2020, after more than a year of official negotiations between U.S. and Taliban representatives, the two sides concluded an agreement laying the groundwork for the withdrawal of U.S. armed forces from Afghanistan, and for talks between Kabul and the Taliban. As part of the agreement, the United States committed to withdrawal of its then-12,000 forces within 14 months; troops have since been reduced to 4500. The agreement represented the culmination of 18 months of negotiation, a series of temporary cease fires, and extensive efforts to keep our Afghan partners on board with the construct. As the Senior Intelligence officer for the operational command on the ground in Kabul, I was responsible for many of the supporting actions. During this talk I will share several of the key elements required by the military to support the negotiation, and broader strategic thoughts on the impediments we face in war termination.

Link to zoom at IAP site