Ex-US National Security Advisor calls Trump-brokered Doha Agreement 'biggest mistake'

Former US ambassador to the UN and national security advisor called the decision of former US President Donald Trump to sign the Doha Agreement with the Taliban the 'biggest mistake' noting that the objective of the group was met. While speaking to Tolo News on Thursday, ex-National Security Advisor, John Bolton, said the Taliban has failed in its commitments to the Afghan people which it agreed to under the peace deal with the US under the Trump administration.

Bolton claimed that a large number of foreign fighters have returned to Afghanistan after the US completely withdrew its forces last year. Calling the agreement the most terrible one, the ex-NSA official underscored that the main objective of the "terrorist organisations" was to remove America and NATO from Afghanistan's soil.

"I think history has proven in the fact that it was a terrible agreement. The objective the Taliban wanted was America, NATO, out of Afghanistan, everything else was secondary," Bolton stated in an interview.

"The Islamic Emirate has failed to uphold its commitments and a large number of foreign fighters have returned to Afghanistan," he added. 

According to Bolton, the former US envoy for peace in Afghanistan, Zalmay Khalilzad, did not contribute positively to the situation and claimed he was only "taking orders. from Trump and his secretary Mike Pompeo"

Taliban violated the Doha Agreement completely

"Let’s be clear, he was taking orders from President Trump and Secretary Pompeo, so whatever criticisms one makes about Zal's performance should be understood as criticizing both what Trump and Pompeo were instructing," he noted. "I very much fear our knowledge of efforts which have been made to launch terrorist attacks from Afghanistan is deeply incomplete and that the risk is high and if we were still there we would have a much better chance to detect these plans for terrorist attacks before they took place. Now we are not entirely blind, but we are certainly not in the position we were," added Bolton.

It is worth mentioning that the United States and the Taliban signed the peace agreement in February 2020 under the Presidency of then President Trump. The deal stated the pullout of the US troops from Afghan soil and the Taliban would abate violence and guarantee that its soil will not be a safe haven for the terrorists. However, they did the entirely opposite and raided the country a year ago and ousted the democratically elected government.

Taliban accuses US administration of the current situation

Meanwhile, reacting to Bolton's remarks, the Taliban also reacted strongly and called the US envoy "a war-oriented man" and added the comments about the incumbent government are not true. Bilal Karimi, the deputy spokesman of the Islamic Emirate, even accused the US of the current crisis and ascertained the problem would be solved once the Biden administration recognises the current government. "These war-loving figures were in the US government and made the US war last 20 years," said Karimi.
"Today, Afghanistan faces a severe humanitarian crisis, and that is because of the non-recognition. I hope the US and other countries recognize the current government," said Hamid Azizi Mujaddedi, a university lecturer said.

Image: AP