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Pentagon gets authority to carry out offensive against IS group in Afghanistan
The White House has given the Pentagon legal authority to target Islamic State in Afghanistan, the first such authorization for military action against the extremist group outside Iraq and Syria, senior administration officials said, in a sign of how the fight has broadened.
The move came in as a response to a December request by Defense Secretary Ash Carter for added authority and power to broaden the fight against Islamic State in Afghanistan as the group’s hold grows more and more in the region.
The authorization for military action is first of its kind to be legalized outside Iraq and Syria, which is a positive sign of how the fight has broadened.
Currently, the American military’s two missions in Afghanistan are to carry out counter-terrorism operations and thwart al-Qaeda reappearance in Afghanistan or a fresh plot against U.S. interests or the homeland.