Trump's new Afghanistan strategy to focus on counter terrorism efforts
(VOVWORLD) -President Donald Trump's strategy on the Afghanistan war is likely to lead to more U.S. forces going to the warn-torn Asian country — and with the focus on counter terrorism activities. Trump offered few specifics in a speech on Monday but promised a stepped-up military campaign against the Taliban who have gained ground against U.S.-backed Afghan government forces.
 US President Donald Trump
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Trump, who had in the past advocated a U.S. withdrawal, acknowledged he was going against his instincts in approving the new campaign plan sought by his military advisers but said he was convinced that leaving posed more risk. At the same time, he promised an end to "nation-building" by U.S. forces in what has become America's longest war and stressed that ultimately Afghanistan's struggling police and army must defeat the Taliban. Most of the approximately 8,400 U.S. troops in Afghanistan work with a NATO-led training and advising mission, with the rest part of a counter-terrorism force that mostly targets pockets of al Qaeda and Islamic State fighters.