Thousands more U.S. soldiers may be headed to Afghanistan after Mattis says America is ‘not winning’ and Trump gives him the power to set troop levels
President Trump has granted the Pentagon authority to set troop levels in Afghanistan, a move that could lead to the deployment of thousands more
An official would not say whether a new ‘force management level’ — currently at around 8,400 — had been finalized
The final decision came during his testimony, at which he said America still is ‘not winning’ in Afghanistan
Reports have said Mattis is considering asking for 3,000 to 5,000 additional US and NATO troops, but the defense chief has said little on the matter
DAILYMAIL.COM
14 June 2017
President Donald Trump has granted the Pentagon authority to set troop levels in Afghanistan, a US official said Tuesday, a move that could lead to the deployment of thousands more soldiers.
Speaking on condition of anonymity, the official told AFP that Pentagon chief Jim Mattis can now directly adjust troop numbers, following his testimony that America is ‘not winning’ in Afghanistan.
The official would not confirm whether a new ‘force management level’ — currently at around 8,400 — had been finalized.
‘The White House has done the same that it did with Iraq and Syria, which is to grant the secretary of defense the authority to set troop levels,’ the official said, referring to recent adjustments Trump has approved for the fight against the Islamic State group in those two countries.
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