US troops to continue operating in Afghanistan
In a reversal of one of Barack Obama's campaign promises, US soldiers will remain in Afghanistan and participated in battle in 2015.
The New York Times reports that Obama's new orders allow for the use of US air support for missions led by the Afghan security forces.
The Taliban has made steady gains throughout the majority of Afghanistan as NATO and the US have drawn down their troop presence over the last two years. While attacks in the capital of Kabul had become rare, they are now making a resurgence as foreign forces are withdrawn from the country. The Times says that US troops will be involved in the training of Afghan security personnel. The focus of the US military presence will not be limited to just the Taliban and Al Qaeda. US troops and air support can also be deployed against any of the various militant groups operating throughout Afghanistan. The Times notes that one possible factor in Obama's decision to adjust the mission of US forces in Afghanistan could have been the rapid rise of the Islamic State in Iraq. Many of Obama's detractors claim that because the United States was unable to maintain a troop presence in Iraq after 2011, the Islamic State was able to easily rout the Iraqi Army and take control of large swathes of Iraqi territory. Another new development reported by the Times is that Afghanistan's new President Ashraf Ghani is more open to the US operating in Afghanistan. The previous Afghan president had limited America's ability to carry out airstrikes and raids in concert with Afghan security forces. President Ghani has since lifted these restrictions after coming to power.
