The Taliban are not meeting their commitments under the US-Taliban deal, said the United States Department of Defence (Pentagon). Under the deal, the Afghan insurgent group was required to reduce violence in the country and cut ties with terrorist organizations, including al-Qaeda. 

Pentagon spokesperson John Kirby on Thursday said, “The Taliban are not meeting their commitments to reduce violence and to renounce their ties to al Qaeda, they are not meeting their commitments.” 

Under the US-Taliban deal, signed on 29 February last year by the Trump administration and the Taliban, all foreign forces are expected to leave by May 2021 in exchange for the Taliban’s commitment to counter-terrorism, reduction of violence in Afghanistan, and engage with the Afghan government for a power-sharing agreement. 

Currently, the United States has 2500 of its troop in Afghanistan. On getting the troop level to zero, Kirby said it was still our goal, and they are in discussion with partners and allies “to make the best decision going forward’ on the future presence in the country. 

“Without them meeting their commitments...it's very hard to see a specific way forward for the negotiated settlement but we're still committed to that (US-Taliban deal),” he said. Kirby, however, added any decision on future presence would be “driven” by their “security requirement”. There are security commitments there, he added.