(16 Jun 2016) The new US commander in Afghanistan has submitted his first three-month assessment of the situation in the war-torn country and what it's going to take to defeat the Taliban, acording to an American military official who spoke to The Associated Press.
Though the content of the review by US Army General John W. Nicholson is secret, the US strategy in Afghanistan received a major incentive this month when President Barack Obama decided to expand America's involvement with more airstrikes against insurgents.
The move gives the US military wider latitude to support Afghan forces, both in the air and on the ground.
The report, and Nicholson's deployment to Afghanistan, come at a time of Taliban resurgence, with the group gaining ground in the southern provinces of the Taliban heartland.
A US military official in Afghanistan told the AP that Nicholson completed the report after spending 90 days in the country.
The official spoke on condition of anonymity as he was not authorised to discuss the issue.
Since all foreign combat troops pulled out of Afghanistan at the end of 2014, leaving only an advisory and training contingent of international forces behind, the Afghan military has struggled in leading the fight, its 195,000 soldiers learning as they go.
The 9,800 remaining US troops in Afghanistan are scheduled to drop to 5,500 by the end of this year, but the pace of that decline has yet to be decided.
Nicholson's review is widely expected to include a recommendation for more US soldiers to boost training.
Find out more about AP Archive: [ Ссылка ]
Twitter: [ Ссылка ]
Facebook: [ Ссылка ]
Instagram: [ Ссылка ]
You can license this story through AP Archive: [ Ссылка ]
