U.S. Defense Secretary Expects to Soon Submit Options on Afghanistan to Trump

U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said he expects to soon submit recommendations to Trump on how to move forward in Afghanistan and the new U.S. strategy will take a “regional approach” rather than addressing the country’s long-running war in isolation.

“We are taking a regional approach to this…. We will take that forward to the president for a decision very soon,” Mattis told the House Armed Services Committee.

The top commander there has told lawmakers he could use several thousand more U.S. troops to end the stalemate in the country.

Spokesman for Afghan Ministry of Defense, Dawlat Waziri said, “we expect serious plans from America toward Afghanistan; U.S. troops support Afghan forces and cooperate them in battlegrounds.”

One of Afghan former military official, Atiqullah Amar Khail said, “the big programs will have no result until the U.S. not introduce the state sponsored terrorism.”

The war in Afghanistan began in October 2001. The U.S. has about 9,800 troops there conducting counterterrorism operations against insurgents and training the Afghan army. Although they ended their combat mission against the Taliban in 2014, they are increasingly involved in backing up Afghan forces on the battlefield.