#Doha-Agreement

Doha Agreement: Negotiating U.S. Withdrawal with Taliban, Excluding Afghan Government

U.S. Special Representative Zalmay Khalilzad led 18 months of negotiations with Taliban representatives in Doha, Qatar while refusing Taliban demands to include the Afghan government. The Afghan government, which the U.S. had spent nearly two decades and $2 trillion supporting, was effectively presented with the agreement as a fait accompli. Trump personally called Taliban leader Mullah Baradar in a phone call. As part of the deal, the U.S. pressured Afghan President Ghani to release 5,000 Taliban prisoners, including commanders. After Biden inherited the deal, he extended the deadline and withdrew forces in August 2021; the Afghan government collapsed in days.