On Saturday, President Trump is set to make history. A conflict that has spanned my entire life could be coming to a close. That is what the spin will be when a peace agreement between the United States and the Taliban is signed. I would caution that this agreement is far from the end of violence in Afghanistan. The outline of the agreement would result in the reduction of U.S. troops and direct negotiations between the government of Afghanistan and the Taliban. U.S. troops would likely stay in the country in a smaller capacity throughout major cities such as Kabul.
Last week after months of investigations by the Afghanistan Elections Commission, President Ashraf Ghani claimed victory with just over 50% of the vote. His primary opponent, Abdullah Abdullah, is calling the results illegal. The Taliban has echoed these claims, making it impossible to see how they will be able to hold direct negotiations with a leader they view as illegitimate.
Afghanistan has spent the last five years under a unity government led by Ghani with Abdullah as chief executive. It is unlikely that a similar power-sharing agreement can be reached once again.
We should celebrate American men and women leaving Afghanistan, but we must be honest about what is about to take place. A peace agreement between the U.S. and the Taliban does not mean peace for Afghanistan. So one must ask if we leave Afghanistan under Taliban influence with democracy in doubt, what was the point of the last 20 years?
With over one hundred thousand Afghans and thousands of U.S. troops killed in this war, can we say we accomplished anything under this deal? It is fine to say it is time to leave and bring our men and women home. I understand we should not be fighting never-ending wars. It is hard to imagine that a child born the year we entered Afghanistan is old enough to be deployed to Afghanistan, which is why we should be able to answer what we accomplished.
A perfect exit strategy in Afghanistan is hard to imagine. It is easy to see how this agreement would allow the very people who killed our men and women to set themselves up for control. Celebrate the U.S. sending less of her own to war, but do not forget those who paid the ultimate sacrifice when the Taliban is negotiating their role in the government.
Judah Waxelbaum is chairman of the Arizona Federation of College Republicans.
