To the Editor:The episodic Afghan peace process seems like an ideal solution to end America’s longest war. Yet there is a paradox in a political negotiation for peace that results in U.S. withdrawal of troops: A potential Taliban-Haqqani takeover of the Afghan capital would follow that involves rejecting democratic principles and human rights. With this deal between the United States and the Taliban, Washington needs a sober assessment of the Haqqani network as a strategic actor at the center of the world’s largest terrorist sanctuary. Fundamentally, the United States-Taliban deal is futile if Washington is not also committed to dismantling and defeating the Haqqani network. On Feb. 21, you published an Op-Ed article by Sirajuddin Haqqani, “What We, the Taliban, Want.” He writes, “The killing and the maiming must stop.”

Source: International New York Times February 26, 2020 21:11 UTC