{"id":62272,"date":"2017-08-24T16:30:35","date_gmt":"2017-08-24T16:30:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/uncategorized\/2017\/08\/24\/additional-us-aircraft-forces-headed-to-afghanistan-top-commander-says\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T11:24:48","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T11:24:48","slug":"additional-us-aircraft-forces-headed-to-afghanistan-top-commander-says","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/flashpoints\/2017\/08\/24\/additional-us-aircraft-forces-headed-to-afghanistan-top-commander-says\/","title":{"rendered":"Additional US aircraft, forces headed to Afghanistan, top commander says"},"content":{"rendered":"
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The U.S. will be sending additional troops and air power to Afghanistan, the top commander of U.S. forces there said Thursday.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n

WASHINGTON \u2015 The U.S. will be sending additional troops and air power to Afghanistan, the top commander of U.S. forces there said Thursday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In a press conference in Kabul, Gen. John Nicholson, commander of the NATO-led Resolute Support, said \u201cin the coming months, U.S. Forces \u2015 Afghanistan and NATO will increase its train, advise and assist efforts in Afghanistan. And we will increase our air support to Afghan security forces.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nicholson said the additional forces will be used to keep pressure on the Taliban to eventually force them to cease fighting and seek a negotiated peace with the Afghan government, and to prevent cells of Islamic State fighters and al-Qaida from further strengthening there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe are determined to prevent Afghanistan from becoming a safe haven for terrorists, who wish to attack the rest of the world from Afghan soil.\u201d Nicholson said. \u201cWe are determined to pursue the goal of a political settlement. As these terrorist groups realize that they cannot win, they will see that their best option is to pursue peace.\u201d
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The additional U.S. forces, as many as 3,900 more, are part of President Donald Trump\u2019s revised strategy to prevent Afghanistan from losing additional ground to the Taliban or other terror groups and to try to end the 16-year-old war there. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In a White House call with reporters Thursday, a senior administration official said the extra troops would allow U.S. forces to be deployed \u201ddown to the tactical level,\u201d with additional \u201ctools and authority to better support their Afghan partners.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2018s what our troops are doing in Iraq and Syria,\u201d the official said. \u201dThe president wants the troops in Afghanistan to have the save authorities they have in Iraq and Syria.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Pentagon reports that there are 8,400 U.S. troops in Afghanistan participating in NATO\u2019s train, advise and assist mission, and a counterterrorism mission against cells of Islamic State and other terror groups there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But it\u2019s likely there are many more forces than the 8,400 on the ground now, as many as 12,000, according to news reports.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Defense Secretary Jim Mattis has said he is working on getting an accurate count of forces before requesting more.  The military does keep a daily, accurate count of forces but that figure is not shared publicly.<\/p>\n\n\n\t