Wall Street Journalさんのインスタグラム写真 - (Wall Street JournalInstagram)「For years, Afghans have agonized over what happens after U.S.-led coalition troops pull out for good. They may find out soon.⠀ ⠀ The Pentagon last week announced plans to reduce the number of American troops in Afghanistan to about 2,500 before Inauguration Day, down from about 12,000 in February and far off the peak of some 100,000 a decade ago. President-elect Joe Biden has said he wants to withdraw all troops from Afghanistan during his first term.⠀ ⠀ Anxiety among Afghans has been on the rise since the Taliban in February struck a deal with the Trump administration for a phased withdrawal of all U.S. troops. In return, the militant group pledged to prevent al Qaeda and other international terrorist groups from operating in Afghanistan and to begin peace talks with the Afghan government. Those talks, which started in September, are currently stalled.⠀ ⠀ The February accord didn’t include a cease-fire, but U.S. officials say they reached an understanding with the Taliban that violence would reduce significantly.⠀ ⠀ Yet the insurgents have been pressing what they see as their advantage on the battlefield. During a lull in U.S. airstrikes, Taliban fighters have mounted a large-scale offensive in Helmand province, seized major highways and surrounded government bases. Since February, they have conducted more than 13,000 attacks nationwide—constituting the most violent period of the entire war, according to internal Afghan government assessments reviewed by WSJ and corroborated by Western security analysts.⠀ ⠀ Read more at the link in our bio.⠀ ⠀ 📷: @joelvanhoudt for @wsjphotos」11月25日 0時32分