The New York Times
The United States has signed a deal with the Taliban that sets the stage to end America’s longest war — the nearly two-decade-old conflict in Afghanistan.
The agreement signed in Qatar on Saturday lays out a timetable for the final withdrawal of United States troops from Afghanistan.
The impoverished Central Asian country once unfamiliar to many Americans that now symbolises endless conflict, foreign entanglements and a potential stage for terrorist plots.
The war in Afghanistan, which began after the Sept 11 attacks, killed tens of thousands of people, vexed three White House administrations and left mistrust and uncertainty on all sides.
In some ways, it echoes the American experience in Vietnam. In both, a superpower bet heavily on brute strength and the lives of its young, then walked away with seemingly little to show.Â
