Mccain promotes Afghanistan plan
Frustrated with Trump, senator talks strategy
WASHINGTON — In a rebuke of President Donald Trump, Republican Sen. John Mccain declared Thursday that “America is adrift in Afghanistan” as he promoted a war strategy that would expand the U.S. counterterrorism effort and provide greater support to Afghan security forces.
Mccain, chairman of the Armed Services Committee, said the U.S. needs to put strict conditions on continued assistance to Afghanistan, and require the Kabul government to demonstrate “measurable progress” in curbing corruption, strengthening the rule of law and improving financial transparency.
“Nearly seven months into President Trump’s administration, we’ve had no strategy at all as conditions on the ground have steadily worsened,” said Mccain, a leading voice in
Congress on national security matters.
The Arizona lawmaker said he’ll seek a vote on his “strategy for success” in Afghanistan when the Senate returns in September and takes up the annual defense policy bill.
His plan calls for sending in more U.S. combat forces. Mccain wants them to be less constrained in carrying out missions against the Taliban and other extremists.
Frustrated by his options, Trump has withheld approval of a long-delayed strategy as he searches for a plan that will end the stalemate and allow U.S. forces to pull out of America’s longest war.
The United States has about 8,400 troops in Afghanistan. Trump has resisted the Pentagon’s recommendations to send almost 4,000 more to expand training of Afghan military forces and bolster counterterrorism operations. The deployment has been held up amid broader strategy questions, including how to engage regional powers to stabilize Afghanistan. These powers include U.S. friends and foes, from Pakistan and India to China, Russia and Iran. Pentagon plans aren’t calling for a radical departure from the limited approach endorsed by former President
Barack Obama, and several officials have credited Trump with rightly asking tough questions, such as how the prescribed approach might lead to success.
Mccain proposes longer-term support that will allow the Afghans to develop and expand their own intelligence, logistics, special forces and airlift operations.