{"id":40408,"date":"2018-02-16T19:42:04","date_gmt":"2018-02-16T19:42:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/marinecorpstimes\/uncategorized\/2018\/02\/16\/dod-ig-too-soon-to-tell-if-trumps-south-asia-strategy-will-break-the-taliban\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T07:49:44","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T07:49:44","slug":"dod-ig-too-soon-to-tell-if-trumps-south-asia-strategy-will-break-the-taliban","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/marinecorpstimes\/flashpoints\/2018\/02\/16\/dod-ig-too-soon-to-tell-if-trumps-south-asia-strategy-will-break-the-taliban\/","title":{"rendered":"DoD IG: Too soon to tell if Trump\u2019s South Asia strategy will break the Taliban"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Pentagon pushed an aggressive military strategy in Afghanistan last year, but its effects are yet to be felt, according to the Department of Defense Inspector General.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Three new challenges were identified by the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.militarytimes.com\/flashpoints\/2017\/08\/01\/afghan-forces-hold-their-ground-as-the-taliban-focus-on-high-profile-attacks\/\" title=\"\" class=\"\" target=\"_blank\">oversight agency<\/a> as in need of action: defeat <a href=\"https:\/\/www.militarytimes.com\/flashpoints\/2018\/01\/22\/pentagon-denies-isis-claim-of-killing-us-soldier\/\" title=\"\" class=\"\" target=\"_blank\">ISIS\u2019 Afghan offshoot<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.militarytimes.com\/flashpoints\/2018\/01\/05\/mattis-no-indication-pakistan-decision-will-impact-afghanistan-operations\/\" title=\"\" class=\"\" target=\"_blank\">pressure Pakistan<\/a> to eliminate terrorist and insurgent sanctuaries within its borders, and hold credible local elections.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">These challenges come as the Trump administration\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.airforcetimes.com\/flashpoints\/2018\/01\/23\/a-10-warthogs-are-back-in-afghanistan\/\" title=\"\" class=\"\" target=\"_blank\">South Asia strategy<\/a> is still looking for its footing. The policy shift entails the use of military, diplomatic and social pressure to drive the Taliban into a reconciliation process with the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.militarytimes.com\/flashpoints\/2018\/02\/01\/us-officials-push-back-against-report-on-losses-in-afghanistan\/\" title=\"\" class=\"selected-link\" target=\"_blank\">Afghan national government<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">As part of the new strategy, the Pentagon expanded combat authorities, allowing U.S. forces to conduct <a href=\"https:\/\/www.militarytimes.com\/flashpoints\/2018\/02\/06\/us-bombing-expands-to-afghan-province-near-chinese-border\/\" title=\"\" class=\"\" style=\"\" target=\"_blank\">offensive operations against the Taliban<\/a>, rather than only engaging in self-defense.<\/p>\n\n\n\t<aside class=\"smg-interstitial-link wp-block-smg-interstitial-link\">\n\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/flashpoints\/2018\/02\/05\/doubts-rise-over-effectiveness-of-bombing-afghan-drug-labs\/\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"157\" src=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/poppy_field_afghanistan.jpg.jpg?w=300\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__image wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" \/>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__content\">\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"smg-interstitial-link__kicker\">Related<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"smg-interstitial-link__title\">Doubts rise over effectiveness of bombing Afghan drug labs<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"smg-interstitial-link__excerpt\">A government watchdog agency is questioning the Defense Department\u2019s drug lab bombing campaign against the Taliban financial network this winter.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/aside>\n\t\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Additionally, roughly <a href=\"https:\/\/www.militarytimes.com\/flashpoints\/2017\/11\/16\/trump-surge-in-afghanistan-is-underway-as-14000-us-troops-are-now-in-afghanistan\/\" title=\"\" class=\"\" target=\"_blank\">3,500 additional troops<\/a> are being deployed to Afghanistan. At the end of 2017, there were approximately 14,000 U.S. personnel in the wayward state.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Despite these changes, \u201cit is too early to determine whether the increase in troops and expansion of their authorities will achieve this goal,\u201d the DoD IG report states. \u201cMoreover, according to the United Nations, Afghanistan made no progress towards peace talks last year.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"4639\" height=\"3093\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/4132696.jpg.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-80364\" srcset=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/4132696.jpg.jpg 4639w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/4132696.jpg.jpg?resize=300,200 300w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/4132696.jpg.jpg?resize=768,512 768w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/4132696.jpg.jpg?resize=1024,683 1024w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/4132696.jpg.jpg?resize=1536,1024 1536w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/4132696.jpg.jpg?resize=2048,1365 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 4639px) 100vw, 4639px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Commandos from the 6th Special Operations Kandak demonstrate the enhanced firepower and mobility capabilities coming to the Afghan National Army Special Operations Command during training in Kabul, Afghanistan, Feb. 10, 2018. Using Mobile Strike Fighting Vehicles, ANASOC will establish seven Cobra Strike Kandaks in the next four years. Soldiers from a conventional ANA Mobile Strike Kandak passed the Commando Qualification Course in Dec. 2017, and now comprise the first class attending the Cobra Strike Maneuver Course. Upon their graduation in late-Apr. 2018, ANASOC will designate the Commando as the 6th CSK. (U.S. Army photo by Spc. Austin Boucher)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><b>Defeat ISIS-Khorasan Province<\/b><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">ISIS-Khorasan Province \u2014 the Afghan offshoot of the larger<a href=\"https:\/\/www.militarytimes.com\/flashpoints\/2018\/01\/23\/us-airstrikes-decimate-nearly-150-isis-militants\/\" title=\"\" class=\"\" target=\"_blank\"> Islamic State<\/a> organization, oftentimes <a href=\"https:\/\/www.longwarjournal.org\/archives\/2017\/05\/taliban-and-islamic-state-clash-in-eastern-afghanistan.php\" title=\"\" class=\"\" target=\"_blank\">fighting the Taliban<\/a> as well \u2014 was hoped to be eliminated in 2017, according to statements by Gen. <b><\/b>John Nicholson, NATO Resolute Support commander.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Taliban\u2019s successes have been \u201ccompounded by elements of the so-called Islamic State [ISIS-K], who remain in Afghanistan, despite suffering from significant battlefield losses over the past year,\u201d Nicholson told the Senate Armed Services Committee in February 2017.<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Although joint U.S.-Afghan operations \u201ckilled large numbers of ISIS-K fighters and pushed them out of some of their strongholds in Nangarhar province, ISIS-K was still a significant security threat at the end of 2017,\u201d the report read.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The group continues to recruit successfully, carry out deadly attacks in Kabul and proliferate terror cells throughout the nation\u2019s capital.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cAfter more than 16 years, U.S. counter-terrorism operations have not eliminated al Qaeda in Afghanistan, which raises questions about how the United States will eliminate ISIS-K,\u201d the report pontificates. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"4542\" height=\"3023\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/635877790869853240-24150890081-6f46fbb68b-ojpg.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-9463\" srcset=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/635877790869853240-24150890081-6f46fbb68b-ojpg.jpg 4542w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/635877790869853240-24150890081-6f46fbb68b-ojpg.jpg?resize=300,200 300w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/635877790869853240-24150890081-6f46fbb68b-ojpg.jpg?resize=768,511 768w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/635877790869853240-24150890081-6f46fbb68b-ojpg.jpg?resize=1024,682 1024w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/635877790869853240-24150890081-6f46fbb68b-ojpg.jpg?resize=1536,1022 1536w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/635877790869853240-24150890081-6f46fbb68b-ojpg.jpg?resize=2048,1363 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 4542px) 100vw, 4542px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A U.S. Air Force KC-135 Stratotanker refuels a U.S. Air Force F-16 Fighting Falcon over Afghanistan in support of the Resolute Support mission, Dec. 29, 2015. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Corey Hook\/Released)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><b>Pressure Pakistan<\/b><br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The South Asia strategy also calls for <a href=\"https:\/\/www.militarytimes.com\/flashpoints\/2017\/12\/04\/mattis-seeks-more-cooperation-with-pakistan-on-terror-fight\/\" title=\"\" class=\"\" target=\"_blank\">Pakistan to eliminate the terrorist sanctuaries<\/a> within its own country, such as the semi-autonomous tribal areas on Afghanistan\u2019s border.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">U.S. efforts, to included publicly shaming Pakistani leadership and suspending security assistance, \u201cmade no discernible progress on this front,\u201d according to the DoD IG report. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Even before the suspension of security assistance, \u201cthere has been an uptick in drone strikes in the tribal areas of Pakistan going back to the fall of last year and continuing since then,\u201d according to Jonathan Schroden, a military operations analyst at the CNA Corporation, a non-profit research group.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">When the security assistance was suspended, Schroden noted that many people expected Pakistan might close the U.S.-Afghanistan supply lines, which the war effort there almost entirely relies upon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cBut that&#8217;s a pretty dramatic move,\u201d he added. \u201cI think it&#8217;s not surprising that they might look for more calibrated things that they could do to sort of make clear their displeasure with this level of pressure that&#8217;s being put on them.\u201d<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Much to the United States\u2019 chagrin, Pakistan continues to maintain ties with China, Russia and Iran, according to the report. In the end, that diminishes U.S. influence and undermines the effects brought by any reduction of military aid.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"532\" height=\"299\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/4037159.jpg.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-80371\" srcset=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/4037159.jpg.jpg 532w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/4037159.jpg.jpg?resize=300,169 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 532px) 100vw, 532px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A combined Afghan Special Mission Wing and National Interdiction Unit operation targeting a Taliban drug facilitation location resulted in the seizure of 34 tons of raw hashish and 300 kg of processed hashish in Mohammed Agha district, Logar province, Afghanistan, Dec. 12, 2017. The confiscated hashish removed $5.6 million in potential revenue from the Taliban\u2019s criminal trafficking enterprise. (Afghan National Interdiction Unit courtesy photo)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><b>Hold elections<\/b><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Finally, it\u2019s coming up on election season in Afghanistan. The national government\u2019s lower house of parliament will hold elections in July, <b><\/b>but that might be delayed due to an inability to implement timely reforms to electoral commissions and procedures, according to the DoD IG.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cU.S. military officials emphasized that holding credible elections, a critical component of the South Asia strategy, would increase social pressure on the Taliban to join a reconciliation process,\u201d the report read.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">However, the estimated $200 million needed to conduct the elections was not in place by the end of the December, and since the international community has funded previous elections in Afghanistan, it might have to foot the bill this year as well.<\/p>\n\n\n\t<aside class=\"smg-interstitial-link wp-block-smg-interstitial-link\">\n\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/flashpoints\/2018\/01\/28\/in-another-first-afghan-pilots-are-now-firing-laser-guided-bombs\/\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"157\" src=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/3767064.jpg.jpg?w=300\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__image wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" \/>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__content\">\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"smg-interstitial-link__kicker\">Related<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"smg-interstitial-link__title\">In another first, Afghan pilots are now dropping laser-guided bombs<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"smg-interstitial-link__excerpt\">Afghan Air Force pilots recently employed laser-guided bombs from their A-29 Super Tucano light-attack aircraft, according to officials involved in NATO\u2019s Resolute Support mission.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/aside>\n\t\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><b>Conclusions<\/b><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The report adds that the best way to measure the South Asia strategy\u2019s success is by tracking the percentage of population under government control.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Afghan President Ashraf Ghani aims to expand his security forces\u2019 control of territory so that 80 percent of the Afghan population live in areas under government control by the end of 2019. At the end of December, though, there was no change in that percentage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The last available Pentagon metric states that 64 percent of the population live in areas under government control or influence, \u201cwhich was the same percentage as the previous quarter,\u201d the report read.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Pentagon made key changes to its military strategy in Afghanistan during 2017, but its effects are yet to be felt, according to the Department of Defense Inspector General.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":80360,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-noindex":"","_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-nofollow":"","_yoast_wpseo_canonical":"","_acf":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_category":8,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","_smg_distribution_targets":[]},"categories":[101,8,12,25,69],"tags":[],"coauthors":[3297],"class_list":["post-40408","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-daily-news-roundup","category-flashpoints","category-news","category-newsletters","category-your-marine-corps"],"acf":{"subheadline":"","legacy_arc_id":"NL4ZCSCNCJCEDOD56QTME35HTY","arc_canonical_url":"\/flashpoints\/2018\/02\/16\/dod-ig-too-soon-to-tell-if-trumps-south-asia-strategy-will-break-the-taliban\/","remove_feature_photo":false,"is_sponsored":false,"subtype":"","redirect_url":"","disable_inline_ads":false,"native_logo_pretext":"Presented By:"},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v26.0 (Yoast SEO v28.1) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>DoD IG: Too soon to tell if Trump\u2019s South Asia strategy will break the Taliban - Marine Corps Times<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"The Pentagon made key changes to its military strategy in Afghanistan during 2017, but its effects are yet to be felt, according to the Department of Defense Inspector General.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"noindex, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"DoD IG: Too soon to tell if Trump\u2019s South Asia strategy will break the Taliban\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The Pentagon made key changes to its military strategy in Afghanistan during 2017, but its effects are yet to be felt, according to the Department of Defense Inspector General.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/marinecorpstimes\/flashpoints\/2018\/02\/16\/dod-ig-too-soon-to-tell-if-trumps-south-asia-strategy-will-break-the-taliban\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Marine Corps Times\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2018-02-16T19:42:04+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-08-08T07:49:44+00:00\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Kyle Rempfer\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Kyle Rempfer\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"5 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\n\t    \"@context\": 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