War-weary Afghans skeptical of U.S.-Taliban peace pact

KABUL — Many Afghans view Saturday’s expected signing of a U.S.-Taliban peace deal with a heavy dose of skepticism. They’ve spent decades living in a country at war — some their whole lives — and wonder if they can ever reach a state of peace.

The deal expected to be signed in Doha, Qatar, is meant to set the stage for a U.S. troop withdrawal and to usher in talks among Afghans on both sides of the conflict about their country’s future. There’s been bitter squabbling among political leaders and concern of a temporary truce being undermined, and the challenge of uniting a fractured country remains daunting.

Also on Saturday, but in the Afghan capital Kabul, U.S. Defense Secretary Mark Esper and NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg will sign a declaration “recommitting the international community’s commitment to Afghanistan,” said Sediq Sediqqui, spokesman for Afghanistan’s President Ashraf Ghani.

Afghanistan’s economy has been racked by 18 years of fighting, despite billions of dollars spent on nation building. Some 55% live in poverty, or less than $1 a day, up from 34% in 2012.

On a recent chilly Kabul morning, dozens of laborers waited to be picked up for a day’s work. Dressed in tattered, paint-splattered clothes, some carrying their own paintbrushes, they squatted on the sidewalk in the heart of the capital, where new high-rise buildings butt up against small dingy shops.

“Everyone is looking for work. There are thousands and thousands like us all over the city,“ said Qatradullah, who like many Afghans goes by just one name. He said he favors the peace deal and hopes it will bring jobs but that government corruption has been crippling. He said the vast sums pumped into Afghanistan have “gone into the pockets of our leaders.”

Transparency International last year ranked...