On February 29, 2020, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo witnessed the signing of the “Agreement for Bringing Peace to Afghanistan” between the United States and the Taliban in Doha, Qatar. The deal had four main provisions: a full U.S. troop withdrawal by May 1, 2021; the release of 5,000 Taliban prisoners by the Afghan government; Taliban commitments to prevent al-Qaeda from using Afghan territory; and the beginning of intra-Afghan peace talks.
What the Deal Actually Did
The Afghan government was not a party to the negotiations. The elected government of the country whose fate was being decided was excluded from the table. The deal required them to release 5,000 Taliban fighters — many of whom were experienced commanders — without their agreement or input. Under U.S. pressure, they eventually complied.
The Taliban, meanwhile, got everything they wanted: a fixed withdrawal date, the release of their fighters, and legitimacy from a direct agreement with the world’s most powerful country. In exchange, they made vague commitments to “prevent terrorism” and agreed to negotiate with the Afghan government — talks that went nowhere.
When Trump signed the deal, there were approximately 13,000 U.S. troops in Afghanistan. By January 2021, when he left office, he had reduced that number to 2,500 — the lowest level in two decades. The drawdown left the incoming Biden administration with minimal forces, no leverage, and a Taliban that was already taking territory across the country.
The Collapse
Biden inherited the deal and extended the withdrawal deadline to August 31, 2021. The withdrawal was chaotic: the Afghan government collapsed within days, the Taliban took Kabul on August 15, 2021, and the world watched desperate scenes at Kabul airport as Afghans tried to flee. Thirteen U.S. service members were killed in a suicide bombing at Abbey Gate. It was a catastrophe.
Trump immediately blamed Biden, calling the withdrawal “the most embarrassing event in the history of our country.” He did not mention the Doha deal. He did not mention the 5,000 prisoners. He did not mention that he had reduced troop levels to 2,500 and set the original withdrawal date. He just pointed at Biden and called him weak.
Bottom Line
Trump negotiated directly with the Taliban, excluded the Afghan government, released 5,000 enemy fighters, drew down troops to skeleton levels, and set a withdrawal date that left his successor with no good options. Then, when the withdrawal went badly, he acted like he had nothing to do with it. The Doha Agreement is a public document. His signature is on the policy. The 5,000 prisoners he released fought their way back to Kabul. The blame he assigned was a magic trick: look at the explosion, not the man who lit the fuse.
Sources
- Wikipedia: Doha Agreement details, provisions, prisoner release, troop drawdown timeline.
- U.S. State Department: Full text of the Doha Agreement, February 29, 2020.
- Associated Press: Doha deal context and troop drawdown under Trump.