Instead of withdrawing from Afghanistan as he called for, Donald Trump will announce that he is sending thousands more US troops to what has become an endless war.
The New York Times reported, “The defense secretary received the authority in June to send as many as 3,900 troops to Afghanistan so that the United States military could expand its efforts to advise Afghan forces and support them with American artillery and air power. But Mr. Mattis has refrained from building up the American force there until the Trump administration agreed on a broader strategy.”
Back in 2013, Trump said he agreed with Obama on Afghanistan withdrawal:
I agree with Pres. Obama on Afghanistan. We should have a speedy withdrawal. Why should we keep wasting our money — rebuild the U.S.!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 14, 2013
Let’s get out of Afghanistan. Our troops are being killed by the Afghanis we train and we waste billions there. Nonsense! Rebuild the USA.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 11, 2013
Politico reported on August 18 that it was Vice President Mike Pence and National Security Adviser HR McMaster who were pushing for 8,400 new US troops in Afghanistan. Contrary to the line of BS that Trump will try to sell the American people on Monday night, there was never another option considered.
With his approval ratings in the dumpster and scandals following him daily, Trump has been itching to change the subject by being a wartime president. By escalating in Afghanistan, the Trump administration will be repeating a classic mistake of US foreign policy. Instead of winding down an endless war, they just took ownership of it. Obama wound down the war and withdrew combat troops. By adding troops, Trump whether they are combat or not, the White House will be moving in George W. Bush’s direction.
There is no end in sight to the war in Afghanistan, and the President whose only focus is “winning” is blundering his way into another terrible decision.
Awards and Professional Memberships
Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association
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