3,000 More Troops

From the BBC:

"US sends 3,000 more troops to Afghanistan"

US Defence Secretary Jim Mattis says the US will send 3,000 extra troops to Afghanistan as the Taliban gain ground and security deteriorates. American combat operations against the Taliban officially ended in 2014, but over 8,000 US special forces remain in the country backing Afghan troops. US President Donald Trump last month signalled he would keep US boots on the ground indefinitely. The Taliban pledged to turn Afghanistan into a "graveyard" for foreign forces. Mr Mattis confirmed the deployment on Monday, speaking to reporters at the Department of Defense.  US Defence Secretary Jim Mattis says the US will send 3,000 extra troops to Afghanistan as the Taliban gain ground and security deteriorates. American combat operations against the Taliban officially ended in 2014, but over 8,000 US special forces remain in the country backing Afghan troops. US President Donald Trump last month signalled he would keep US boots on the ground indefinitely. The Taliban pledged to turn Afghanistan into a "graveyard" for foreign forces. Mr Mattis confirmed the deployment on Monday, speaking to reporters at the Department of Defense.  But once he became a frontrunner for the 2016 Republican presidential nomination, Mr Trump modified his stance.  He said the 2001 US-led invasion of Afghanistan was "a terrible mistake", but supported keeping troops in the country to prevent a "collapse". Last month he said the US would remain in the country to kill terrorists rather than nation-build. At peak deployment levels in 2011, there were some 100,000 US personnel in the country.  Sixteen years after the US-led invasion, the Afghan government still only controls half of the country.

^ Saying American soldiers in Afghanistan aren't combat troops is like saying American soldiers in Vietnam were only advisors. American soldiers in Afghanistan not only have to deal with the Taliban, but also Afghan soldiers that turn on them. ^

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-41314428