Foreign Affairs

Trump’s Strategy Has Already Caused ‘Immense Change’ On Afghan Battlefield, Prez Says

No featured image available

Afghan President Ashraf Ghani showered praise on President Donald Trump’s South Asia strategy Thursday, in a bilateral meeting at the United Nations.

Trump revealed his South Asia strategy in an Aug. 23 speech pledging the U.S. to an enduring military presence in Afghanistan to help the government combat the Taliban insurgent movement. The president made clear he would keep or remove U.S. military forces based on conditions on the ground rather than set a timeline, like his predecessor former President Barack Obama.

Trump’s announcement was accompanied by a deployment of approximately 3,000 additional U.S. troops to the country to assist the Afghan National Security Forces.

“Since the decision, there’s been an immense change on the ground… it’s a difference of day and night,” Ghani told a White House pool reporter after the meeting. “A cloud of uncertainty has been lifted, but equally important is your commitment to a political solution at the end of this process.”

Ghani also stated Wednesday that “the Trump administration’s strategy has the uniqueness of immense consultations with us,” in a subtle rebuke of Obama. The Afghan president also said be believes Trump’s strategy has a better chance of success than Obama’s.

Exactly what changes Ghani is referring to is not immediately clear. The Afghan government only controls approximately 60 percent of the country with various insurgent groups controlling the rest. The Taliban Islamist insurgent movement controls more territory than at any time since 2001 and has inflicted heavy casualties on the Afghan National Security Forces on the battlefield.

Follow Saagar Enjeti on Twitter

Send tips to [email protected].