The Dossier: Leave Afghanistan. Don't waste time with a Taliban 'peace deal'

U.S. and Taliban close in on misguided ‘peace’ deal to end U.S. involvement in Afghanistan

The Trump administration is negotiating an agreement with the Taliban in hopes of signing a long-term peace deal for the future of Afghanistan, so that American troops can leave the country a more stable place.

Unfortunately, it is a fantasy to believe that the Taliban will not attempt to take over the country once U.S. troops leave Afghanistan. The Taliban is unapologetically a full-fledged jihadi group that is willing to fight for every inch of the country, using massive raids and coordinated attacks to achieve its goals. Luckily for us, the Taliban is not very interested in fighting for anything outside Afghanistan’s borders. It is indeed an anti-American group, but not an outfit that intends, or has the capacity, to attack the American homeland.

Instead of negotiating with a terrorist group, the U.S. should simply withdraw from the country, knowing that there are zero U.S. interests in Kabul and that there is virtually no threat to the homeland that could presently originate from there. It’s unfortunate that the Afghan people will once again suffer at the hands of the Taliban, who are very much poised to take over the country. But way too many American soldiers have died to continue propping up the massively corrupt central government in Kabul. Americans are dying fighting for Afghans, and that is wholly unacceptable. It’s time for the troops to come home, with or without a peace agreement that is not worth the paper it is written on.

Trump gets results: NATO pledges $100B defense spending increase

NATO members will increase defense spending by $100 billion dollars, heeding President Trump’s calls to contribute more to the alliance, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg announced Sunday.

“President Trump has been very clear. He is committed to NATO … but at the same time he has clearly stated that NATO allies need to invest more," Stoltenberg said in a Fox News interview. "So we see some real money and real results, and we see that a clear message from President Trump is having an impact. NATO allies have heard the president loud and clear. NATO allies are stepping up."

Maduro attempts to raid $1.2B gold stash

The Bank of England has blocked an attempt by Venezuelan dictator Nicolas Maduro to withdraw $1.2 billion worth of gold in foreign reserves that are held by Venezuela’s central bank.

Maduro is presently in an intense power struggle with his rival, Juan Guaido, who last week declared himself the interim president of Venezuela, citing Maduro’s illegal, extra-constitutional actions. The United States and its allies have rallied behind Guaido’s legitimacy, while adversarial regimes such as China, Russia, and Iran continue to back Maduro.

U.S. and China race to 5G network

The Trump administration is reportedly rallying allies to block Chinese tech firms from building 5G infrastructure projects. The coming high-speed network is projected to be a critical component to maintaining superiority in the future military and economic competition between the two superpowers.

North Korea eyes sanctions relief for next Trump-Kim summit

North Korea analysts believe that regime in Pyongyang is focused on sanctions relief as its primary goal for the next Trump-Kim summit, which will take place in late February. Vietnam continues to be the most likely venue for next month’s meeting. 

The Kim Jong Un-led regime has not test-fired ballistic missiles for two years, but it remains to be seen whether Pyongyang is serious about denuclearization as a whole.

Author’s note: This post originally appeared in Blaze Media’s The Dossier newsletter. For foreign policy news and views delivered to your inbox twice a week, subscribe here or use the form below!

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