Adam Smith on Afghanistan strategy: ‘This is not a plan’

Rep. Adam Smith, D-Wash., said some elements of the plan that Trump presented Monday night, including efforts toward political reconciliation in the war-torn country, were similar to past strategies used by the Obama and Bush administrations.

“But many of the principles he laid out were vague, and he made almost zero effort to explain how he will achieve these objectives,” said Smith, who as ranking Armed Services member has sway over setting defense priorities and policies.

After months of internal deliberation, Trump made a televised address to announce the U.S. will be sending more forces and stepping up pressure on the Taliban and terrorist groups in Afghanistan to regain momentum in the nearly 16-year-old conflict. The new strategy could include up to 3,900 more troops.

Trump said the U.S. will not put any timelines on the withdrawal of U.S. forces and will instead make any drawdowns contingent on the situation in the country. The U.S. will also put more pressure on Pakistan to stop the flow of fighters across its border.

“This is not a plan,” Smith said in a released statement. “The president has announced that he is committing to an open-ended war effort in Afghanistan without clearly explaining to the American people or the service members he is sending into harm’s way what he wants and how he intends to accomplish his goals. That is inexcusable.”

Sen. Jack Reed, D-R.I., the ranking Democrat on Senate Armed Services, had also criticized Trump for being too vague

“Unfortunately, the President’s speech tonight was short on the details our troops and the American people deserve,” Reed said.

However, Republican chairmen of the House and Senate armed services committees cheered the new strategy.

Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., called it “a big step in the right direction” and Rep. Mac Thornberry, R-Texas, said Trump was being “clear-eyed” and set out a “reasonable way ahead.”