*Afghan rivals’ power-sharing deal would promote official accused of rape and torture.*

To have any chance of peace, we have to help the actual rulers of Afghanistan make peace, even if they are torturers and rapists. The alternative to working with them would be for the US to impose new rulers on Afghanistan. That didn't work well before — it usually doesn't.

If we wanted to help Salafi Arabia make peace with Iran, or with the Houthis in Yemen, we'd have to help its actual ruler to do it — murderer though he is. Otherwise the peace agreement would not hold.