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US Ambassador to Kabul Ends Term, Urges Afghans to Work Together for Peace

Ayaz Gul

   ISLAMABAD - The U.S. ambassador to war-torn Afghanistan ended his
   two-year tenure Monday, saying his "earnest hope" is for leaders and
   citizens across the country to work together to find a political
   settlement with the Taliban insurgency.

   Ambassador John Bass, who served in Kabul since December 2017, leaves
   his post at a time when Washington is trying to seal a peace deal with
   the Taliban to end the 18-year-old Afghan war, America's longest.

   "He skillfully advanced the Trump administration's goal of reaching a
   political settlement in Afghanistan that ensures terrorists can never
   again threaten the United States from Afghan soil while leading a large
   diplomatic mission in the face of numerous security threats," said a
   State Department official.

   The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said Bass's
   departure had long been planned because U.S. ambassadors typically
   serve in the Afghan capital, Kabul, for two years.

   The peace deal Washington is negotiating with the Taliban would bind
   the insurgents to disallow terrorism against other countries from
   Afghan soil and enter into intra-Afghan negotiations to permanently end
   years of hostilities in the country.

   In return, U.S. and NATO troops would commit to a phased withdrawal
   from Afghanistan, meeting the core Taliban demand.

   "We will cherish our memories of the Eid holiday in 2018 when peace
   fell over the whole country and Afghans saw it was possible for both
   sides to stop the violence," Bass tweeted Monday. He was referring to a
   three-day cease-fire announced by the Taliban days after the Afghan
   government ceased its counterinsurgency operations. Eid marks the end
   of the Muslim fasting period known as Ramadan.

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