{"id":53173,"date":"2017-08-23T20:51:59","date_gmt":"2017-08-23T20:51:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/uncategorized\/2017\/08\/23\/new-afghanistan-plan-could-offer-clues-to-trump-doctrine\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T09:07:07","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T09:07:07","slug":"new-afghanistan-plan-could-offer-clues-to-trump-doctrine","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/flashpoints\/2017\/08\/23\/new-afghanistan-plan-could-offer-clues-to-trump-doctrine\/","title":{"rendered":"New Afghanistan plan could offer clues to &#8216;Trump Doctrine&#8217;"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">WASHINGTON \u2014 Never tip your hand to the enemy. No timelines for military operations. No free pass for a neighbor who tolerates extremists or enables U.S. foes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In President Donald Trump\u2019s new Afghanistan strategy, elements of a broader approach to America\u2019s most pressing national security concerns begin to emerge, consistent with his efforts in Iraq, Syria and elsewhere. Though details are limited, the plan draws on organizing principles that are also woven throughout his plans for defeating the Islamic State group and containing the threats posed by North Korea and Iran.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Trump\u2019s advisers say his Afghan strategy reflects a consistent world view, both in terms of America\u2019s overseas objectives and the tactics to achieve them. But it\u2019s too soon to say whether he is being driven by a well-formed doctrine or merely coining catchphrases on the fly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWe are not nation-building again. We are killing terrorists,\u201d Trump said in his Monday night speech. He was striving to differentiate his plan from failed approaches of the past.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">As a candidate and then as president, Trump has eluded those who have tried to identify core beliefs that can reliably predict how he\u2019ll approach any given issue. Critics have painted him as a foreign policy novice, focused only on somehow showing he\u2019s winning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Trump ran on a nationalist pledge to put \u201cAmerica First.\u201d But he explained this week that things look different from the Oval Office. Conceding he was overriding an initial instinct to withdraw from Afghanistan, he peppered his speech with vows to empower commanders and to squeeze Pakistan for harboring the Taliban.<\/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\/news\/your-military\/2017\/08\/22\/mattis-dod-to-account-for-actual-numbers-of-forces-in-afghanistan-before-asking-for-more\/\" 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=\"201\" src=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP_17232607521028.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\">Pentagon may have up to 20,000 troops in Iraq, Syria and Afghanistan; it reports only 14,000<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"smg-interstitial-link__excerpt\">A Pentagon spokesman said: &quot;The president was crystal clear in his speech about discussing troop levels. We are not going to discuss numbers.\u201d<\/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\">While Trump has cast his approach as a fundamental shift from other presidents, he\u2019s borrowed more from them than he\u2019s inclined to admit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">George W. Bush, too, sought to pressure Pakistan to crack down on the Taliban, even as he focused far more on an idea Trump is explicitly rejecting: promoting democracy around the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And Trump\u2019s limited approach owes something to Barack Obama, who in his second term scaled back U.S. military involvement in Afghanistan and settled on a counterterror-focused mission not dissimilar from the new American strategy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A look at the pillars of Trump\u2019s foreign policy:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">MIND YOUR BUSINESS<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The days of the U.S. military trying to \u201cconstruct democracies\u201d are over, Trump declared. Instead, he said \u201cprincipled realism\u201d will guide U.S. decisions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That means there will be none of Bush\u2019s \u201cnation-building\u201d \u2014 no expansive goal to build up Afghanistan\u2019s institutions and ensure the education of girls once the U.S. ultimately withdraws.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Trump\u2019s approach in Syria is similar. There, as the Islamic State is ousted from its last major strongholds and a power vacuum results, Trump\u2019s administration has said it wants to help restore electricity, water and sewage in areas freed from IS \u2014 but no more. In Iraq, the situation is somewhat easier because there\u2019s a globally backed central government.<\/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\/news\/pentagon-congress\/2017\/08\/22\/trump-afghanistan-strategy-calls-for-more-troops-regional-pressure\/\" 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=\"169\" src=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP_17234374659159.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\">Trump Afghanistan strategy calls for more troops, regional pressure<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"smg-interstitial-link__excerpt\">President Donald Trump has announced his plan for the future of Afghanistan.<\/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\">In Afghanistan, some questions still must be cleared up. Despite his vow of non-interference, Trump emphasized he could hold back future military and economic aid unless the Afghan government combats problems including rampant corruption.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWe\u2019re not going to tell these countries how to govern, but we\u2019re going to condition our assistance on reforms \u2014 that\u2019s an internal contradiction,\u201d said James Dobbins, a senior diplomat in the past three administrations and former special envoy for Afghanistan and Pakistan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">KEEP YOUR PLANS QUIET<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Of all the critiques of Trump\u2019s plan, the loudest is that he declined to tell Americans how many more U.S. troops will be sent to Afghanistan after 16 years of fighting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">His rationale is simple: Deny the Taliban and other extremists the advantage of anticipating U.S. military moves.<\/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\/2017\/08\/22\/taliban-reacts-to-trumps-speech-afghanistan-is-not-a-threat\/\" 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=\"200\" src=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Soldiers-deploy-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\">Taliban reacts to Trump\u2019s speech: &#8216;Afghanistan is not a threat&#8217;<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"smg-interstitial-link__excerpt\">President Trump\u2019s plan to send more troops to Afghanistan, with no deadline for their eventual withdrawal, drew immediate rebuke from the Taliban on its official website, Voice of Jihad.<\/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\">However, the contours of the Pentagon\u2019s plan have been known for months. Senior officials said Tuesday up to 3,900 more troops will go, some possibly within days.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Being unpredictable to U.S. adversaries has been a consistent Trump focus. The president was similarly coy in April in the days before he attacked Syrian President Bashar Assad\u2019s forces for using chemical weapons. He has repeatedly refused to entertain questions about a potential pre-emptive attack on North Korea.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWe don\u2019t talk about that. I never do,\u201d Trump has said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">DON\u2019T \u201cMICROMANAGE\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Rather than centralize military decision-making in the White House, a critique often leveled at Obama, Trump has delegated much of the authority to his defense secretary and war zone commanders.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cMicromanagement from Washington, D.C., does not win battles,\u201d he said in his Afghanistan speech.<\/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\/2017\/08\/22\/mattis-in-baghdad-says-militants-are-on-the-run\/\" 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=\"211\" src=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP_17234530925567.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\">Mattis, in Baghdad, says militants are &#8216;on the run&#8217;<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"smg-interstitial-link__excerpt\">U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said Tuesday he is confident that U.S.-backed Iraqi forces will finish off the Islamic State militants clinging to strongholds that are shrinking in size and number.<\/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\">Even before he unveiled his Afghan plan, the White House announced he\u2019d given the Pentagon final say on how many troops to send. And in April, his top commander in Afghanistan was allowed to use the \u201cmother of all bombs,\u201d the largest non-nuclear bomb ever dropped in combat. There was no need for the White House signoff.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Trump has similarly ceded decision-making about military actions in Syria and Iraq to his commanders, along with decisions about counterterror strikes against targets in several countries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cHe clearly is much more willing to give the military latitude on tactical decision than President Obama was,\u201d said Ambassador James Jeffrey, Bush\u2019s former deputy national security adviser. \u201cThat\u2019s all in all a good thing for this kind of conflict.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">CRACKDOWN ON ENABLERS<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">As Trump vowed to get tough on Pakistan, accusing it of giving \u201csafe haven to agents of chaos, violence and terror,\u201d diplomatic and military officials heard echoes of his plan for North Korea.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For more than a decade, the U.S. has pressed Islamabad to snuff out Taliban sanctuaries. Many of the group\u2019s leaders reside in Pakistan, traveling freely across the Afghanistan border. Taliban wounded are treated in Pakistani hospitals.<\/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\/2017\/08\/23\/analysts-say-trumps-warning-to-pakistan-could-backfire\/\" 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=\"200\" src=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP17234346530516.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\">Analysts say Trump&#8217;s warning to Pakistan could backfire<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"smg-interstitial-link__excerpt\">President Donald Trump\u2019s warning to Pakistan to put an \u201cimmediate\u201d end to harboring militants operating in Afghanistan didn\u2019t spell out the consequences of defiance or suggest a new strategy to get it to yield to longstanding U.S. demands, analysts said Tuesday.<\/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\">With North Korea, it\u2019s China that must feel the weight of U.S. pressure, Trump has said. He has tried to squeeze Beijing into cutting off lifelines of economic support to North Korea to make it harder for Pyongyang to develop weapons that could harm the U.S.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">LET LOCALS LEAD<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In Afghanistan, as in Iraq and Syria, Trump\u2019s plan centers on training local forces to fight insurgents rather than relying on Americans to do most of the fighting. While the same strategy was employed by Obama, Trump has claimed credit since taking office.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThe confidence that the American people and the world heard last night from our commander in chief derives from the fact that this is exactly the approach that President Trump directed in Iraq and in Syria,\u201d Vice President Mike Pence said Tuesday.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Never tip your hand to the enemy. No timelines for military operations. No free pass for a neighbor who tolerates extremists or enables U.S. foes.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":91775,"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":[101,8,12,26,62],"tags":[],"coauthors":[791],"class_list":["post-53173","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-daily-news-roundup","category-flashpoints","category-news","category-newsletters","category-pentagon-congress"],"acf":{"subheadline":"","legacy_arc_id":"FX4GP7WSL5DJLN6BXE2GPOZN74","arc_canonical_url":"\/flashpoints\/2017\/08\/23\/new-afghanistan-plan-could-offer-clues-to-trump-doctrine\/","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>New Afghanistan plan could offer clues to &#039;Trump Doctrine&#039; - Navy Times<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Never tip your hand to the enemy. No timelines for military operations. No free pass for a neighbor who tolerates extremists or enables U.S. foes.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/flashpoints\/2017\/08\/23\/new-afghanistan-plan-could-offer-clues-to-trump-doctrine\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"New Afghanistan plan could offer clues to &#039;Trump Doctrine&#039;\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Never tip your hand to the enemy. No timelines for military operations. No free pass for a neighbor who tolerates extremists or enables U.S. foes.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/flashpoints\/2017\/08\/23\/new-afghanistan-plan-could-offer-clues-to-trump-doctrine\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Navy Times\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2017-08-23T20:51:59+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-08-08T09:07:07+00:00\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Josh Lederman, The Associated Press\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Josh Lederman, The Associated Press\" \/>\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\": \"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\n\t    \"@graph\": [\n\t        {\n\t            \"@type\": \"Article\",\n\t            \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/navytimes\\\/flashpoints\\\/2017\\\/08\\\/23\\\/new-afghanistan-plan-could-offer-clues-to-trump-doctrine\\\/#article\",\n\t            \"isPartOf\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/navytimes\\\/flashpoints\\\/2017\\\/08\\\/23\\\/new-afghanistan-plan-could-offer-clues-to-trump-doctrine\\\/\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"author\": {\n\t                \"name\": \"migration\",\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/navytimes\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/cc76c831bb37a926738c8391fca7a3b1\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"headline\": \"New Afghanistan plan could offer clues to &#8216;Trump Doctrine&#8217;\",\n\t            \"datePublished\": \"2017-08-23T20:51:59+00:00\",\n\t            \"dateModified\": \"2026-08-08T09:07:07+00:00\",\n\t            \"mainEntityOfPage\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/navytimes\\\/flashpoints\\\/2017\\\/08\\\/23\\\/new-afghanistan-plan-could-offer-clues-to-trump-doctrine\\\/\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"wordCount\": 1108,\n\t            \"commentCount\": 0,\n\t            \"publisher\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/navytimes\\\/#organization\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"image\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/navytimes\\\/flashpoints\\\/2017\\\/08\\\/23\\\/new-afghanistan-plan-could-offer-clues-to-trump-doctrine\\\/#primaryimage\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"thumbnailUrl\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/08\\\/AP17234623279187.jpg.jpg\",\n\t            \"articleSection\": [\n\t                \"Daily News Roundup\",\n\t                \"Flashpoints\",\n\t                \"News\",\n\t                \"Newsletters\",\n\t                \"Pentagon &amp; Congress\"\n\t            ],\n\t            \"inLanguage\": \"en-US\",\n\t            \"potentialAction\": [\n\t                {\n\t                    \"@type\": \"CommentAction\",\n\t                    \"name\": \"Comment\",\n\t                    \"target\": [\n\t                        \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/navytimes\\\/flashpoints\\\/2017\\\/08\\\/23\\\/new-afghanistan-plan-could-offer-clues-to-trump-doctrine\\\/#respond\"\n\t                    ]\n\t                }\n\t            ]\n\t        },\n\t        {\n\t            \"@type\": \"WebPage\",\n\t            \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/navytimes\\\/flashpoints\\\/2017\\\/08\\\/23\\\/new-afghanistan-plan-could-offer-clues-to-trump-doctrine\\\/\",\n\t            \"url\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/navytimes\\\/flashpoints\\\/2017\\\/08\\\/23\\\/new-afghanistan-plan-could-offer-clues-to-trump-doctrine\\\/\",\n\t            \"name\": \"New Afghanistan plan could offer clues to 'Trump Doctrine' - Navy Times\",\n\t            \"isPartOf\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/navytimes\\\/#website\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"primaryImageOfPage\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/navytimes\\\/flashpoints\\\/2017\\\/08\\\/23\\\/new-afghanistan-plan-could-offer-clues-to-trump-doctrine\\\/#primaryimage\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"image\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/navytimes\\\/flashpoints\\\/2017\\\/08\\\/23\\\/new-afghanistan-plan-could-offer-clues-to-trump-doctrine\\\/#primaryimage\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"thumbnailUrl\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/08\\\/AP17234623279187.jpg.jpg\",\n\t            \"datePublished\": \"2017-08-23T20:51:59+00:00\",\n\t            \"dateModified\": \"2026-08-08T09:07:07+00:00\",\n\t            \"description\": \"Never tip your hand to the enemy. No timelines for military operations. No free pass for a neighbor who tolerates extremists or enables U.S. foes.\",\n\t            \"breadcrumb\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/navytimes\\\/flashpoints\\\/2017\\\/08\\\/23\\\/new-afghanistan-plan-could-offer-clues-to-trump-doctrine\\\/#breadcrumb\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"inLanguage\": \"en-US\",\n\t            \"potentialAction\": [\n\t                {\n\t                    \"@type\": \"ReadAction\",\n\t                    \"target\": [\n\t                        \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/navytimes\\\/flashpoints\\\/2017\\\/08\\\/23\\\/new-afghanistan-plan-could-offer-clues-to-trump-doctrine\\\/\"\n\t                    ]\n\t                }\n\t            ]\n\t        },\n\t        {\n\t            \"@type\": \"ImageObject\",\n\t            \"inLanguage\": \"en-US\",\n\t            \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/navytimes\\\/flashpoints\\\/2017\\\/08\\\/23\\\/new-afghanistan-plan-could-offer-clues-to-trump-doctrine\\\/#primaryimage\",\n\t            \"url\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/08\\\/AP17234623279187.jpg.jpg\",\n\t            \"contentUrl\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/08\\\/AP17234623279187.jpg.jpg\"\n\t        },\n\t        {\n\t            \"@type\": \"BreadcrumbList\",\n\t            \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/navytimes\\\/flashpoints\\\/2017\\\/08\\\/23\\\/new-afghanistan-plan-could-offer-clues-to-trump-doctrine\\\/#breadcrumb\",\n\t            \"itemListElement\": [\n\t                {\n\t                    \"@type\": \"ListItem\",\n\t                    \"position\": 1,\n\t                    \"name\": \"Home\",\n\t                    \"item\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/navytimes\\\/\",\n\t                    \"ad_zone\": \"home\"\n\t                },\n\t                {\n\t                    \"@type\": \"ListItem\",\n\t                    \"position\": 2,\n\t                    \"name\": \"Flashpoints\",\n\t                    \"item\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/navytimes\\\/flashpoints\\\/\",\n\t                    \"ad_zone\": \"flashpoints\"\n\t                },\n\t                {\n\t                    \"@type\": \"ListItem\",\n\t                    \"position\": 3,\n\t                    \"name\": \"New Afghanistan plan could offer clues to &#8216;Trump Doctrine&#8217;\"\n\t                }\n\t            ]\n\t        },\n\t        {\n\t            \"@type\": \"WebSite\",\n\t            \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/navytimes\\\/#website\",\n\t            \"url\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/navytimes\\\/\",\n\t            \"name\": \"Navy Times\",\n\t            \"description\": \"Independent News For Sailors | Navy Times\",\n\t            \"publisher\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/navytimes\\\/#organization\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"potentialAction\": [\n\t                {\n\t                    \"@type\": \"SearchAction\",\n\t                    \"target\": {\n\t                        \"@type\": \"EntryPoint\",\n\t                        \"urlTemplate\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/navytimes\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"\n\t                    },\n\t                    \"query-input\": {\n\t                        \"@type\": \"PropertyValueSpecification\",\n\t                        \"valueRequired\": true,\n\t                        \"valueName\": \"search_term_string\"\n\t                    }\n\t                }\n\t            ],\n\t            \"inLanguage\": \"en-US\"\n\t        },\n\t        {\n\t            \"@type\": \"Organization\",\n\t            \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/navytimes\\\/#organization\",\n\t            \"name\": \"Navy Times\",\n\t            \"url\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/navytimes\\\/\",\n\t            \"logo\": {\n\t                \"@type\": \"ImageObject\",\n\t                \"inLanguage\": \"en-US\",\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/navytimes\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\",\n\t                \"url\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/06\\\/navy-logo-white.png\",\n\t                \"contentUrl\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/06\\\/navy-logo-white.png\",\n\t                \"caption\": \"Navy Times\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"image\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/navytimes\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\"\n\t            }\n\t        },\n\t        {\n\t            \"@type\": \"Person\",\n\t            \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/navytimes\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/cc76c831bb37a926738c8391fca7a3b1\",\n\t            \"name\": \"migration\",\n\t            \"image\": {\n\t                \"@type\": \"ImageObject\",\n\t                \"inLanguage\": \"en-US\",\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/9e8d47be443ce94ce7fc357677b5f9c70235bb1f59e7267a102a74af58c04f59?s=96&d=mm&r=gcf4cb6ee0ec29e49e7a963234e4340ec\",\n\t                \"url\": \"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/9e8d47be443ce94ce7fc357677b5f9c70235bb1f59e7267a102a74af58c04f59?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\n\t                \"contentUrl\": \"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/9e8d47be443ce94ce7fc357677b5f9c70235bb1f59e7267a102a74af58c04f59?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\n\t                \"caption\": \"migration\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"url\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/navytimes\\\/author\\\/migration\\\/\"\n\t        }\n\t    ]\n\t}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"New Afghanistan plan could offer clues to 'Trump Doctrine' - Navy Times","description":"Never tip your hand to the enemy. No timelines for military operations. No free pass for a neighbor who tolerates extremists or enables U.S. foes.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/flashpoints\/2017\/08\/23\/new-afghanistan-plan-could-offer-clues-to-trump-doctrine\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"New Afghanistan plan could offer clues to 'Trump Doctrine'","og_description":"Never tip your hand to the enemy. No timelines for military operations. No free pass for a neighbor who tolerates extremists or enables U.S. foes.","og_url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/flashpoints\/2017\/08\/23\/new-afghanistan-plan-could-offer-clues-to-trump-doctrine\/","og_site_name":"Navy Times","article_published_time":"2017-08-23T20:51:59+00:00","article_modified_time":"2026-08-08T09:07:07+00:00","author":"Josh Lederman, The Associated Press","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Josh Lederman, The Associated Press","Est. reading time":"5 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/flashpoints\/2017\/08\/23\/new-afghanistan-plan-could-offer-clues-to-trump-doctrine\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/flashpoints\/2017\/08\/23\/new-afghanistan-plan-could-offer-clues-to-trump-doctrine\/"},"author":{"name":"migration","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/#\/schema\/person\/cc76c831bb37a926738c8391fca7a3b1"},"headline":"New Afghanistan plan could offer clues to &#8216;Trump Doctrine&#8217;","datePublished":"2017-08-23T20:51:59+00:00","dateModified":"2026-08-08T09:07:07+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/flashpoints\/2017\/08\/23\/new-afghanistan-plan-could-offer-clues-to-trump-doctrine\/"},"wordCount":1108,"commentCount":0,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/flashpoints\/2017\/08\/23\/new-afghanistan-plan-could-offer-clues-to-trump-doctrine\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP17234623279187.jpg.jpg","articleSection":["Daily News Roundup","Flashpoints","News","Newsletters","Pentagon &amp; Congress"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/flashpoints\/2017\/08\/23\/new-afghanistan-plan-could-offer-clues-to-trump-doctrine\/#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/flashpoints\/2017\/08\/23\/new-afghanistan-plan-could-offer-clues-to-trump-doctrine\/","url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/flashpoints\/2017\/08\/23\/new-afghanistan-plan-could-offer-clues-to-trump-doctrine\/","name":"New Afghanistan plan could offer clues to 'Trump Doctrine' - Navy Times","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/flashpoints\/2017\/08\/23\/new-afghanistan-plan-could-offer-clues-to-trump-doctrine\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/flashpoints\/2017\/08\/23\/new-afghanistan-plan-could-offer-clues-to-trump-doctrine\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP17234623279187.jpg.jpg","datePublished":"2017-08-23T20:51:59+00:00","dateModified":"2026-08-08T09:07:07+00:00","description":"Never tip your hand to the enemy. No timelines for military operations. No free pass for a neighbor who tolerates extremists or enables U.S. foes.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/flashpoints\/2017\/08\/23\/new-afghanistan-plan-could-offer-clues-to-trump-doctrine\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/flashpoints\/2017\/08\/23\/new-afghanistan-plan-could-offer-clues-to-trump-doctrine\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/flashpoints\/2017\/08\/23\/new-afghanistan-plan-could-offer-clues-to-trump-doctrine\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP17234623279187.jpg.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP17234623279187.jpg.jpg"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/flashpoints\/2017\/08\/23\/new-afghanistan-plan-could-offer-clues-to-trump-doctrine\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/","ad_zone":"home"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Flashpoints","item":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/flashpoints\/","ad_zone":"flashpoints"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"New Afghanistan plan could offer clues to &#8216;Trump Doctrine&#8217;"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/#website","url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/","name":"Navy Times","description":"Independent News For Sailors | Navy Times","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/#organization","name":"Navy Times","url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/navy-logo-white.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/navy-logo-white.png","caption":"Navy Times"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"}},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/#\/schema\/person\/cc76c831bb37a926738c8391fca7a3b1","name":"migration","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/9e8d47be443ce94ce7fc357677b5f9c70235bb1f59e7267a102a74af58c04f59?s=96&d=mm&r=gcf4cb6ee0ec29e49e7a963234e4340ec","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/9e8d47be443ce94ce7fc357677b5f9c70235bb1f59e7267a102a74af58c04f59?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/9e8d47be443ce94ce7fc357677b5f9c70235bb1f59e7267a102a74af58c04f59?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"migration"},"url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/author\/migration\/"}]}},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP17234623279187.jpg.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"distributor_meta":false,"distributor_terms":false,"distributor_media":false,"distributor_original_site_name":"Navy Times","distributor_original_site_url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes","push-errors":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/53173","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/7"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=53173"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/53173\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":95513,"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/53173\/revisions\/95513"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=53173"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=53173"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=53173"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=53173"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}