Gen. John Nicholson, the new commander of U.S. and NATO forces in Afghanistan, has delivered his first three-month report of the situation in the country.
The Associated Press, citing a U.S. military official in Afghanistan, reported that the assessment--which is classified as secret--has been delivered to Nicholson’s chain of command at the Defense Department. The Taliban has made considerable gains in Afghanistan since President Obama marked the formal end to U.S. combat there in 2014, a development that is all but guaranteed to feature prominently in the report.
The report comes before Obama is due to make a decision on the troop level in Afghanistan. While all U.S. troops were initially supposed to leave Afghanistan by the end of 2016, Obama signed off on a plan last year that would reduce the 9,800 troops currently in the war-torn country to 5,500 by the end of the year, before he leaves office. The United States is said to be taking another look at that reduction plan.
The AP reported:
One factor in determining future troop levels is the extent to which NATO allies are willing to remain involved in training and advising the Afghans. That is likely to figure prominently in Nicholson’s review, which is widely expected to include a recommendation for more U.S. soldiers to boost training. ... His review is also expected to look at the current threat level from various insurgent groups operating in Afghanistan, assess resources to deal with that threat, and look at current and future operational needs. It’s likely to take into account every aspect of the Afghan military’s preparedness--from operational capability and training needs at all levels, to fundamentals like equipment, facilities, maintenance and logistics, discipline, and accountability.
Data compiled by the United Nations indicated last October that the Taliban’s reach in Afghanistan is larger than at any point during 2001, when U.S. troops invaded the country. The Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction likewise wrote in a report to Congress in January that the Taliban controls more territory in the country than at any point in 2001 after the U.S. invasion.
The AP, citing internal NATO data, also reported that fatalities of Afghan forces increased by 28 percent last year.
Last week, Obama relaxed restrictions on U.S. forces in Afghanistan conducting airstrikes and providing ground combat support to Afghan forces. Still, the administration maintains that U.S. forces are serving a train, advise, and assist role in the country.
Nicholson has been the commander in Afghanistan for 90 days. He succeeded retired commander Gen. John Campbell, who along with other former top U.S. commanders recently urged Obama to sustain the current level of forces in Afghanistan through the end of his term.