President Trump will accept the recommendations of his Pentagon brass when it comes to sending additional troops into Afghanistan, White House press secretary Sean Spicer said on Thursday, just hours after his top commander in Afghanistan advocated for sending additional troops there to assist coalition forces.
“I think the president will heed the advice of the generals and Secretary Mattis,” Spicer said. “That conversation has yet to happen.”
Army Gen. John Nicholson told the Senate Armed Services Committee earlier on Thursday that the NATO mission in Afghanistan is experiencing a “shortfall of a few thousand” troops, which could help the coalition forces in their efforts to advise and strengthen the Afghan military. Nicholson, the top U.S. commander in Afghanistan, said the additional troops could come from the U.S. or from allies.
Spicer said the potential U.S. troop surge is still “a Department of Defense issue” for now.
But Sen. John McCain, chairman of the Armed Services Committee, suggested the Trump administration should consider sending the extra troops to Afghanistan.
“This new administration has the opportunity to turn the page and finally give our commanders the resources and authorities they need to seize the initiative and force the enemy to react, instead of the other way around,” McCain said on Thursday. “This will likely require additional U.S. and coalition forces and more flexible authorities. And it will require sustained support to the Afghan security forces as they develop key enabling capabilities, including intelligence, logistics, special forces, airlift, and close-air support.”
The U.S. currently has about 8,400 troops in Afghanistan as part of a NATO operation there.
