Ahead of the peace agreement with the Taliban ... What did Washington gain from the longest wars in its history?

Mohammed Al-Minshawi-Washington

A state of anticipation and caution reigns in Washington after news that a peace agreement with the Taliban movement is ending, ending with the longest war in American history and continuing since 2001.

During his participation in the Munich security conference recently, US Defense Secretary Mark Esber confirmed that an agreement could lead to the withdrawal of the 12,000 American troops from Afghanistan, after a seven-day truce had already begun between the two parties.

A senior State Department official said in a press statement that the agreement may pave the way for the withdrawal of American forces, and a peace process with the participation of all Afghan parties will follow.

Al-Jazeera Net polled the opinions of Afghan affairs experts in Washington to shed light on President Donald Trump's goals of signing the agreement at this time, and what role Washington will play in Afghanistan after the signing.

Doubts about the timing
Former Ambassador David Mac said that all Trump wants is to claim that he ended the 19-year US military presence in Afghanistan, so he wants to expedite the conclusion of the agreement before the November elections.

Ambassador Trump, who is currently an expert on the Atlantic Council in Washington, said in an interview with Al-Jazeera Net that "Trump has reiterated that he wants to get out of the armed military conflicts, and aims to show that he managed to achieve success in a case where Presidents George Bush Jr. and Barack Obama failed."

Marvin Weinbaum, an expert on Afghan affairs at the Washington Institute for the Middle East, agreed with Ambassador Mac and said, "Trump will accept any agreement that gives him credibility in the presidential election year, and Trump can claim that he ended a war in which American forces have been present for more than 19 years."

Weinbaum spoke to Al-Jazeera Net about Trump's desire to sign the agreement while he was in South Asia so that the agreement would be linked directly with him. He is scheduled to visit India on the 24th and 25th of this month, and India is playing an increasing role in Afghan affairs.

For his part, Jonathan Weiner, a former assistant secretary of state for international law enforcement, said Trump wanted to announce that he was fulfilling one of his pledges to withdraw US forces from an endless conflict and bring the soldiers home.

Weiner told Al-Jazeera Net that "Trump gave instructions to Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad, who is the ideal envoy for this mission, because he is an American of Afghan descent, that an American withdrawal should be reached."

He warned that the final agreement would be difficult and harsh on both sides, and he said that the Taliban must demonstrate their ability to stop attacks on American forces until the withdrawal is complete, and if any American is killed then Trump will have to retaliate and may burn that agreement.

Trump refused at the last minute to sign an agreement with the Taliban last September after an attack that killed an American soldier.

Washington goals
News near the conclusion of an agreement prompted to ask a question regarding Washington's longest warfare, as Ambassador David Mack said that his country had succeeded in achieving its initial goal, which is to eliminate Al Qaeda in Afghanistan and limit the influence of the Taliban, but it did not succeed in achieving the following goals.

"The Bush administration has aimed at the son to stabilize Afghanistan, form a reformist government, and defend the rights of women, but despite success in some cities, large areas of Afghanistan have remained outside the control of the central government," McCain said, calling for US forces to remain there for these years.

Expert Marvin Weinbaum disagrees with Mac, as he believes that it is too early to judge the achievement of goals, adding to Al-Jazeera Net that "Washington hopes that Afghanistan will know its path to peace and stability, especially after achieving social and economic gains during the past years with American help, but if this is not preserved The gains will have failed in Washington. "

Mac ruled out the Trump administration's interest in Afghanistan if the withdrawal was completely completed, and this administration will not be able to help in forming a coalition government that includes Taliban representatives.

As for Weinbaum, it is believed that it depends on whether Washington leaves some special forces there for several years to fight terrorism, or else "terrorist groups" will be able to return to Afghanistan and take safe haven.