US to withdraw all troops from Afghanistan within 5 years: Report

KABUL in three to five years, a media report said on Friday.

Under the peace plan, the US will reduce its military presence by half from 14,000 to 7,000 in the coming months and  the remaining 7,000 troops will withdraw together with the remaining 8,600 European and international troops within three to five years, a report by The New York Times says.

Until then, US forces will refrain from training the Afghan military, delegating this task to the Europeans, while focusing primarily on counterterrorism operations against Al Qaeda and Daesh remnants in the country.

"The Europeans are perfectly capable of conducting the training mission," James Stavridis, a retired American admiral and former top NATO commander, told reporters.

"It is a smart division of labor to have the United States shift the bulk of its effort toward the special forces mission and having the Europeans do the training mission."

The plan has reportedly been well received in both the Pentagon and in Brussels. However, US officials close to the talks warned journalists that due to his erratic nature, US President Donald Trump may cancel the plan at any moment.

On Monday, US diplomats met with Taliban officials in Qatar in the highest-level negotiations yet in order to develop a framework plan for a withdrawal agreement decided in principle last month.

As a prerequisite for total withdrawal, the US reportedly seeks guarantees from the Taliban that they will take responsibility for thwarting terrorist groups that may seek to attack the United States and who view Afghanistan as a safe haven.

The Afghan government has not been a part of negotiations because of the Taliban's reluctance to speak with President Ashraf Ghani or his envoys.

The Taliban are not thrilled with the prospect of having US troops around for five more years, the New York Times writes. Besides, the US wants to include the Afghan government in the negotiation process.

Some officials believe continued funding for the Afghan military is more important than an enduring international troop presence for the survival of Afghanistan's government.

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