The pressure on the Biden administration to withdraw all US forces from Afghanistan as per a May 1 deadline does not seem to die down anytime soon. Taliban are the latest to enter the heated debate with a warning of its own. Staying beyond the previously-agreed-upon way out would tantamount to “violation of the agreement…Their violation will have a reaction.” Washington is being constantly advised not to leave the war-ravaged terrain without any sustainable peace agreement. Congress has been repeatedly warned that such untoward development would be a “disaster.” There are fears that without US support, Kabul would not stand any chance. Quite emphatically, a US Defence Department‘s special inspector predicted, “The Afghan government would probably lose the capability of flying any of its aircraft within a few months.” Another top diplomat underscored, “We’ve got to be able to assure the world…that Afghanistan will not be a source of planning, plotting to project terrorist attacks around the globe.” Such a blatant going back on one’s word. Those advocating the need to stay in Afghanistan for their own security are clearly in the wrong. Even since the agreement signed with the US in February 2020, the Taliban have not attacked NATO or homeland forces. Similarly, the Afghan terrorist threat has been dramatically reduced. Call it a direct consequence of the US’s directed campaign devastating Al Qaeda (the group has been on hiatus since 2005 London bombings) or the inclination for change brewing within–thanks to the development of Afghan institutions. It is not 2001 but 2021. The Afghanistan of today is no longer scarred by vicious bloodshed. Furthermore, the Afghan intelligence service is counted amongst the best in the region. There have been regular counterterrorism operations, that too, without American forces’ help. With mature governing institutions, integration of more and more women in public life, development of media, better health care and educational institutes, the country has come a long, long way. This is not to say that no progress is needed, but the overwhelming fear of violence on the rest of the world–that American hawks–are echoing sounds hollow. As Biden weighs whether to abandon the Trump administration’s accord with the Taliban, he would be astute enough to know that peace is the only viable solution. Even if left to form a government, the Afghan Taliban would have too much on their plate to focus on any other agenda. Extreme poverty and endemic corruption have long tainted Kabul. To survive post-American troops, the Afghan government, whoever it may be, would be needing constant support from international partners to sustain their economy and stabilise their politics. Taliban’s statements in the past have underscored the need for girls entering schools and women entering public life. Even if apprehensions regarding what form of Islamic government would they undertake might unsettle many, diplomatic pressure can still be applied to hold their feet to the fire. Afghanistan needs to see an end to its 40 years of war. There is no other way! *