Last week, the top U.S. military commander in Afghanistan finally got his wish. Its aim is to help Afghan forces turn around a stalemated conflict with the aid of a few thousand extra advisory troops — something his predecessors failed to do with more than 100,000 combat troops at the war’s peak. He exudes confidence in Ghani and his determination to reform the Afghan security forces, which have been weakened by corruption and nepotistic leadership. “As a soldier, the concern I have is about terrorism emanating from this area,” Nicholson said in the interview, echoing Trump’s speech last Monday on Afghan strategy. [How Afghanistan is ramping up its fight against corruption — especially among the country’s elite]“I believe in the Afghan people,” he said.

Source: Washington Post August 26, 2017 16:44 UTC