US hope to get a new peace deal with the Taliban that would include a ceasefire seems to be panning out, as the Taliban sent part of its delegation to Pakistan to meet with elders in the movement, and they have endorsed the idea.



The ceasefire won’t be immediate, or necessarily long-lasting, however. Rather, the ceasefire will come into place for a short-term once the US-Taliban deal is finalized. Exactly how long it is to last is unclear.



A previous peace deal the US was poised to announce was withdrawn from by President Trump at the last minute, reportedly over the lack of a ceasefire. Trump has insisted on a ceasefire this time, and while negotiators weren’t 100% clear they could, the Taliban leaders went along.



Since the Taliban wanted talks to pick up where they left off last time, they are likely very close to finalizing the deal, though the US temporarily paused it to protest an attack on Bagram.





Author: Jason Ditz Jason Ditz is news editor of Antiwar.com. View all posts by Jason Ditz