A new peace plan floated by the Pentagon and European allies would withdraw all U.S. troops from Afghanistan in the next three to five years, The New York Times reports Thursday. The plan would begin by cutting U.S. troop presence in half in the coming months, and shifting the responsibility for training the Afghan military to European and Australian allies. The plan is reportedly designed to accelerate talks with the Taliban and earn the approval of President Trump, who has been a vocal critic of the U.S.’ extended presence in wars overseas. The Times notes that the Taliban is unlikely to accept American presence in Afghanistan for five more years; it remains unclear how amenable they would be to a quicker timeline. The negotiations, on all sides, remain precarious: Trump could tank the talks at any moment, and the Taliban still refuses to negotiate with the Afghan government.
