US Began Troops Withdrawing from Afghanistan

Within 135 days the number of US troops in Afghanistan will be reduced by almost half. The United States began to withdraw its troops from Afghanistan, on Monday, March 9, the representative of the American contingent in this country, Sonny Leggett said. Over the next 135 days, the number of US troops will be reduced to 8,600. At the same time, according to the statement, US forces will continue to participate in anti-terrorist operations against al-Qaida and the Islamic State, as well as provide support to the Afghan security forces. Currently, up to 13,000 US and NATO soldiers are deployed in Afghanistan. About 8,000 US troops are involved in NATO's Resolute Support training mission to train Afghan security forces, while the rest are involved in anti-terrorist operations. US-Taliban Peace Treaty The gradual withdrawal of US forces from Afghanistan is spelled out in a peace agreement signed by the United States and the Taliban on February 29. In exchange for a partial withdrawal of US troops, the Taliban should provide guarantees that it will fight against the Islamists and begin peace negotiations with the Afghan government in Kabul. If the Taliban fulfill their obligations, the United States is ready to withdraw all its troops and the troops of its allies within 14 months. The agreement also provides for the release of 5,000,000 Taliban prisoners. According to Reuters, Afghan President Ashraf Ghani plans to announce the release of at least 1,000 people in the coming days to begin negotiations with Taliban officials. The reduction of the US military presence is taking place against the backdrop of the intensification of the internal political conflict in Kabul. Ashraf Ghani was sworn in on the presidency on March 9 almost half a year after the presidential election. However, his rival, head of government Abdullah Abdullah, at the same time held his own inauguration ceremony. During the ceremony in Kabul, several explosions thundered. American presence in Afghanistan lasted over 18 years The United States sent troops to Afghanistan in response to the September 11, 2001 terrorist attack and the refusal of the Taliban, which controlled most of Afghanistan, to extradite Osama bin Laden. The Americans were supported by NATO partners. The International Security Assistance Force (ISAF), created by UN Security Council resolution in December 2001, included 48 countries, while the United States provided the largest contingent. In January 2015, the main forces of the United States and NATO were withdrawn from Afghanistan, about 13 thousand troops remained in the country to support the Afghan security forces. As a result, almost 100 thousand US soldiers passed through Afghanistan, more than 1900 American soldiers were killed and more than 20 thousand were wounded. The cost of the operation in Afghanistan since 2011 amounted to $ 776 billion, the Pentagon said. Some studies say these numbers are underestimated.