Afghan leader Ashraf Ghani on Tuesday (August 22) welcomed U.S. President Donald Trump’s new strategy for the war in Afghanistan, which would remove timelines for withdrawal of remaining foreign troops.
Ghani said the new strategy would increase the capacity of the training mission for Afghan national security forces, including enhancing its fledgling air force and doubling the size of the Afghan special forces.
Trump on Monday (August 21) committed the United States to an open-ended conflict in the country, signaling he would dispatch more troops to America’s longest war and vowing “a fight to win”.
Trump’s speech came after a months-long review of U.S. policy in which the president frequently tangled with his top advisers.
He suggested he was hoping for eventual peace talks, and said it might be possible to have a political settlement with elements of the Taliban.
He said he was convinced by his national security advisers to strengthen the U.S. ability to prevent the Taliban from ousting Ghani’s government.
