KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – A group of Afghan women activists has urged US president-elect Donald Trump to nullify the US-Taliban peace deal, arguing that it not only failed to bring peace but also led to “catastrophic consequences.”
In an open letter, a copy of which obtained by KabulNow, more than 20 Afghan women’s movements stated that the deal has empowered the Taliban instead of achieving peace and has ignored the voice of the Afghan people.
The signatories of the letter have highlighted that the deal led to the oppression of women and girls, suppression of minorities, refugee crisis, repression of the media, and the expansion of global terrorism.
“The Taliban’s oppressive policies have stripped women and girls of their most basic rights, including the right to education, employment, and personal freedoms,” part of the letter reads.
“The Taliban has provided sanctuary to groups such as Al-Qaeda, enabling the expansion of global terrorist networks, which could lead to an increase in terrorist attacks around the world.”
The Doha Agreement, which paved the way for the U.S. military withdrawal from Afghanistan, was signed between the U.S. and the Taliban in Doha, the capital of Qatar, during Trump’s first term in 2020.
The agreement aimed to address four key issues: the withdrawal of U.S. and other foreign troops from Afghanistan, the reduction of violence in the country, the initiation of a national peace dialogue, and the assurance that Afghanistan would not become a safe haven for terrorist groups again.
The critics, however, argue that the only aspect of the deal that has been fulfilled so far is the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan. The withdrawal in August 2021 led to the rapid collapse of the republic government and the Taliban’s return to power.
Critics of the deal, including the signatories of the letter, also argue that, contrary to its terms, it significantly hindered the intra-Afghan peace dialogue, and the Taliban continue to maintain ties with terrorist groups.
In their letter to Donald Trump, Afghan women called for the immediate revocation of the deal and the prosecution of Taliban leaders for the crimes committed over the past three years.
“Taliban leaders must be held accountable in international courts for their war crimes and gross human rights violations,” they said.
The Doha deal has also faced criticism from US politicians and lawmakers, who argue that the deal undermined Afghanistan’s stability and emboldened the Taliban.
During the US presidential debate in September, Kamala Harris, the US Vice President and Trump’s opponent, referred to the deal as the “weakest deal.” She criticized Trump for bypassing the Afghan government and negotiating directly with the “terrorist Taliban.”
Last year, John Bolton, former US National Security Advisor under President Donald Trump, described the US-Taliban agreement as a “disastrous mistake” for the US and its global national security.
