US, Taliban Sign Historic Peace Deal

U.S. officials and top representatives of Afghanistan's Taliban signed a historic peace treaty in Qatar on Saturday, ultimately paving the way for a final end to the 18-year war in the Middle Eastern nation. The deal, which follows months of negotiations between the two parties, calls for a complete withdrawal of U.S. troops over the next 14 months in exchange for the Taliban's pledge to work with the Afghan government. Outlets on both sides of the aisle framed the signing as "historic" and the beginning of the end of the U.S.'s longest-running war, which began in 2001 following the 9/11 attacks. But the deal has also drawn criticism -- including from right-leaning voices, who argue that it concedes too much to the terrorism-linked political organization.