US Military Begins Afghanistan Withdrawal

The United States military has started withdrawing from two bases in Afghanistan, in accordance with a recent deal forged between Washington and the Taliban. Under the terms of what is being considered a highly fragile agreement, all foreign forces will pull out of the country within 14 months provided that the Taliban abide by their security commitments. Initially, the US is supposed to cut its troop presence from about 12,000 to 8,600 by mid-July, and close five – or about one-quarter – of its military installations. The drawdown comes as the Taliban upped their insurgency, conducting dozens of attacks against Afghan national forces even though they had reportedly committed to ceasing such operations. To date, they have also refused to negotiate with the government of President Ashraf Ghani, raising concerns that the group that once harbored Osama bin Laden could ultimately regain control of Afghanistan 19 years after the US ousted it in the post-9/11 invasion.