Taliban's reduction in violence touted by Trump officials didn’t actually happen, inspector general report finds

Zalmay Khalilzad and Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar.

(Image credit: KARIM JAAFAR/AFP via Getty Images)

published 19 May 2020

The Taliban continued violent operations "at high levels" in Afghanistan during the lead up to and after the signing of a peace agreement with the United States earlier this year in the hopes of ending an 18-year conflict, the Lead Inspector General for Operation Freedom's quarterly report said.

In the days preceding the agreement, which was signed in February in Doha, Qatar, the two sides negotiated a week-long reduction in violence, but the latest report found that didn't happen. Instead, the Taliban reportedly limited violence against the U.S. and coalition forces, but increased attacks against the Afghan National Defense and Security Forces during the time period. Trump administration officials had praised the reduction period before Doha.

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Tim is a staff writer at The Week and has contributed to Bedford and Bowery and The New York Transatlantic. He is a graduate of Occidental College and NYU's journalism school. Tim enjoys writing about baseball, Europe, and extinct megafauna. He lives in New York City.

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