Trump: US never really fought to win; Taliban profited by its presence

The United States “never really fought to win” in Afghanistan, said Trump on Monday adding the Taliban “make a fortune” by the US presence.

In response to a May 17 Wall Street Journal editorial indicating Trump’s flimsy decisions regarding Afghanistan given the peace deals and the withdrawal of US forces prematurely, Donald pronounced his reactions in a series of tweets.

Trump wrote, “The Taliban is mixed about even wanting us out. They make a fortune $$$ out of having us stay, and except at the beginning, we never really fought to win.”

“We are more of a police force than the mighty military that we are, especially now as rebuilt. No, I am not acting impulsively!” he said.

Trump has previously commended US military effort in Afghanistan. He praised troops deployed to defend liberty and those who “continue to serve heroically to stamp out terrorism and to eviscerate the enemies of civilization.”

The US troops surged to Afghanistan in 2001 initially to eliminate al-Qaeda and then continued fighting to win remote areas from Taliban control.

Over the past year, the troops have focused on supporting Afghan forces in an effort to persuade the Taliban to step into Intra-Afghan negotiations.

The US signed a deal with the Taliban on 29th February which halted US attacks on the Taliban and outlined a path toward troops’ withdrawal.

Now that the Intra-Afghan negotiations have been delayed, it is unclear how quickly further reduction of troops will come into effect.

Trump has always expressed frustration about the war in Afghanistan given the resources it takes and has wanted it to end, noting, “You can only hold someone’s hand for so long.”