US President Donald Trump has informed Congress that American forces in Afghanistan will continue to fight those who threaten the viability of the Afghan government.
In a letter sent this week to the Speaker of the House of Representatives and President Pro Tempore of the Senate, Mr Trump redefined the US mission in Afghanistan from grooming Afghan forces to fighting the insurgents and directly engaging them.
Although training, advising and assisting Afghan forces is still top on the list of US military mission in Afghanistan, Mr Trump also underlined other goals some of which had been abandoned by the Obama administration.
The goals he underlined are: “Conducting and supporting counter terrorism operations against Al Qaeda and against ISIS [the militant Islamic State group]; and taking appropriate measures against those who provide direct support to Al Qaeda, threaten US and coalition forces, or threaten the viability of the Afghan government or the ability of the Afghan National Defence and Security Forces to achieve campaign success.”
