Small Wars Journal

Top U.S. General in Afghanistan Says Trump's Plan Means Long-Term U.S. Commitment

Thu, 08/24/2017 - 11:38am

Top U.S. General in Afghanistan Says Trump's Plan Means Long-Term U.S. Commitment - Reuters

The top U.S. military commander in Afghanistan said on Thursday President Donald Trump's new strategy is a sign of a long-term commitment to what is already America's longest war and called on Taliban insurgents to agree to peace talks.

"The Taliban cannot win on the battlefield, it's time for them to join the peace process," General John Nicholson told reporters in the Afghan capital, Kabul. "We will not fail in Afghanistan, our national security depends on that as well."

Critics, including Trump himself during the 2016 campaign for the U.S. presidency, have argued that Afghanistan is no closer to peace despite billions of dollars spent on aid and nearly 16 years of U.S. and allied military operations.

In February, Nicholson told the U.S. Congress he needed "a few thousand" more troops in Afghanistan, mostly to help advise Afghan security forces that are battling Taliban, Islamic State and other Islamist insurgents…

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