Taliban Says Foreign Troops Reduction In Afghanistan Could Come Soon

The Taliban said it's getting closer to a peace deal with the U.S. that would reduce foreign military presence in Afghanistan. 

A Taliban spokesperson told Bloomberg Thursday the agreement will happen soon if the U.S. makes a "reasonable and convincing proposal."

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo sent two representatives to Afghanistan to negotiate the details of this agreement last week. After the meetings in Kabul, one of those representatives told reporters he's "cautiously optimistic" about the peace talks. He said the U.S. envoy to Afghanistan is in a "fairly robust dialogue" with the Taliban.

The U.S.'s longest war — the Afghan War — started after members associated with al-Qaeda staged the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks. The Taliban harbored al-Qaeda fighters in Afghanistan. The U.S. envoy said earlier this month that he's satisfied with the Taliban's promise to stop terrorist organizations from using the country as a base. According the Associated Press, the group may even join the U.S. to fight ISIS militants.