A Taliban commander who led and directly participated in the hostage-taking of journalist David Rohde was sentenced Tuesday in New York to 42 years in prison.
The Taliban has been massing forces in and around Panjshir province, the only one yet to fall under the militants' control.
"This is an unmitigated disaster, first and foremost for Afghans. And I would also say that it's an American-sponsored disaster in many ways, we collectively hold responsibility for that across party lines," said Professor Ben Hopkins of George Washington University, a noted expert on Afghanistan.
"The handwriting began when we decided to actually negotiate with the Taliban," said Jeff Schloesser, the former commanding general of the 101st Airborne Division.
What is happening in Afghanistan? We look into what's unfolding as the Taliban takes control.
If successfully implemented, the weeklong "reduction in violence" agreement will be followed by the signing of the peace accord on Feb. 29.