As part of ongoing peace talks to bring an end to the 17+ years long war in Afghanistan, the Pentagon has offered a plan that would withdraw half of all US forces in the coming months and the rest in three to five years. The US has been engaged in peace talks with the Taliban and hopes to reach a negotiation that would create a power-sharing agreement between the Taliban and the Afghan government. According to the proposed plan, US operations will shift to a focus on counterterrorism strikes, while other international forces would take on the training of local defense forces. In return for a full withdrawal, the Taliban has promised to prevent terrorist groups from using Afghanistan as a safe haven. The Afghan government has expressed fears of attack from the Taliban, should outside forces withdraw.
