The United States will calibrate the pace of its withdrawal from Afghanistan with the actions of the Taliban, US Secretary of State Michael Pompeo said on Saturday as Washington signed the peace deal with the group.
"Effort only became real when the Taliban showed interest in pursuing real peace & ending their relationship with Al-Qaeda and other foreign terrorist groups. The agreement that we will sign today is the true test of this effort," Pompeo said.
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"We will closely watch the Taliban for their compliance with their commitments and calibrate the pace of our withdrawal with their actions. This is how we will ensure that Afghanistan never again serves as a base for international terrorists," he added.
As per a joint declaration between Washington and the Afghan government, the US will withdraw all its forces from Afghanistan within 14 months. The plan is "subject to the Taliban's fulfillment of its commitments under the US-Taliban agreement".
"The United States reaffirms its commitments regarding support for the Afghan security forces and other government institutions, including through ongoing efforts to enhance the ability of Afghan security forces to deter and respond to internal and external threats, consistent with its commitments under existing security agreements between the two governments," the joint declaration read, as reported by Tolo News.
As per the declaration, the US will reduce the number of US military forces in Afghanistan to 8,600 and implement other commitments in the US-Taliban agreement within 135 days of the announcement of this joint declaration and the US-Taliban agreement.
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