Brigadier General Larry Nicholson addressed Marines before they conducted a helicopter assault into Marja, a Taliban stronghold in Helmand Province. Tyler Hicks/The New York TimesWashington Times: U.S. may send up to 5,000 more troops to Afghanistan
The Trump administration is poised to double down on U.S. commitments in Iraq and Afghanistan, all but ensuring continued American military involvement in both countries for years to come.
The White House is weighing a proposal to send between 3,000 to 5,000 more troops to Afghanistan to deal with the deteriorating security situation there, with both the Taliban and Islamic State increasingly active in parts of the country. With NATO leaders expected to match Washington’s proposed force increases, as many as 10,000 new allied troops may be heading to Afghanistan just as the longest conflict in American history enters its 16th year. Separately, The Associated Press reported that talks have begun with Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi to allow for a permanent U.S. military presence in the country even after the Islamic State fighters are ousted from Mosul and other strongholds in the country. Officials from Washington and Baghdad confirmed the talks to allow American troops to remain in several bases in Baghdad, as well as positions along the Syrian border and near the ISIS-held city of Mosul, the AP reported Thursday.
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WNU Editor: 3,000 .... 5,000 .... 50,000 .... in the end it will not make a difference on how many U.S. soldiers you send into Afghanistan. Afghanistan has been in a mess for decades, and as long as the people in the country want to continue their unending wars, our involvement will not change the dynamics on the ground in the end.
