For several years since American invasion of Afghanistan in pursuit of the Taliban and as a retribution for for 9/11 bombings, American troops have been faced with increasing insurgency but have maintained a certain peace in the Asian country. However, there are plans underway to withdraw these troops. Ironically, these plans are being brokered with the same Taliban. An article in Democracy Digest tells us why this is a recipe for total civil war.

The United States would withdraw almost 5,000 troops from Afghanistan and close five bases within 135 days under a draft peace accord agreed with the Taliban, said the chief U.S. negotiator, Zalmay Khalilzad, Reuters reports.

The majority of America’s ambassadors to Afghanistan since the removal of the Taliban government have condemned the US approach to negotiating a troop withdrawal, warning it risked a return to “total civil war.” Writing the day after a draft agreement was announced, the nine men, including a former deputy secretary of state, said they supported peace talks in Afghanistan, The Guardian adds.

“We believe that US security and values, including support for women, require that a full troop withdrawal come only after a real peace,” said the open letter, published by the Atlantic Council. “We must not yank so much support from our Afghan friends that they are unable to protect themselves or the chance to keep moving forward with a representative democracy.”

Democracy Digest has the details.