U.S.-Taliban negotiations and the Doha Agreement (2001-2020)

The article analyzes the negotiation process and the final agreement that ended the U.S. war in Afghanistan. While general attention was dedicated to the dramatic withdrawal and the Taliban takeover, less focus was directed towards the negotiations and the agreement between the U.S. and the insurgent group, signed in Doha on the 29th of February 2020. The paper underscores two pivotal observations. Firstly, despite the agreement’s emphasis on peace, its primary objective is a strategic advantage for both parties. Secondly, the events of August 2021 were not unforeseen but were rooted in the negotiation process and the specific provisions outlined in the finalized agreement. Methodologically, the chronological proximity of these events necessitated the use of debates within the U.S. Congress, reports, and existing literature.