Trump's decision has leaked. 2 sources told me Trump is going w/ consensus plan: few extra thousan

[riversedge]

Monica Webster Retweeted
Kate Brannen‏Verified account @K8brannen 30m30 minutes ago

Trump's decision has leaked. Two sources told me Trump is going w/ consensus plan: few extra thousand troops.

Link to tweet

https://www.axios.com/axios-sneak-peek-2475058606.html



Axios Sneak Peek
.
1 big thing: Trump's Afghanistan decision

Pablo Martinez Monsivais / AP

President Trump will address the nation on his Afghanistan war strategy tomorrow at 9 p.m. from Fort Myer in Arlington, VA. It's one of the most consequential decisions of his presidency, and it comes after Trump met with his national security team on Friday at Camp David.

Defense Secretary James Mattis said on Sunday, per Reuters: "I am very comfortable that the strategic process was sufficiently rigorous and did not go in with a pre-set position."
The stakes: Should Trump order a withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan, advisers believe he'd all but ensure the Taliban completes its takeover of the country. Al-Qaeda and ISIS would be allowed to flourish, and you'd have a terrorist launching pad similar to, or potentially worse than, before 9/11.

Trump's decision hasn't leaked; but I can illuminate some of the private conversations leading up to it, from senior administration sources and former officials close to the Pentagon:

Trump's top national security advisers all agree the only way they'll win their missions in Afghanistan is to modestly increase troop levels, keep training the Afghan military, and keep a strong CIA and special forces presence to run aggressive counter-terrorism operations.

Two missions:..........................

[greeny2323]

1. Can we draft conservatives?

Starting first with the ones on Fox News?

[leftstreet]

2. That's his big 'reveal?' America will yawn

He won't get big ratings for something like that!

[riversedge]

3. I could be wrong but didn't trump promise to get us out of Afgan???

[Eyeball_Kid]

5. Yes

[unitedwethrive]

8. He was also going to defeat ISIS in 30 days...

still waiting.

[tblue37]

13. Yep, and he already had his plan for it. nt

[leftstreet]

9. Yes. Probably after building a wall, repealing Obamacare

etc

[BigmanPigman]

4. I guess being there for 16 years isn't long enough.

I hope he goes off message and teleprompter and says another batch of crazy lies to make his approval ratings sink even lower.

[Eyeball_Kid]

7. Odds are 7 in10.

[bearsfootball516]

6. Not exactly a surprise

[procon]

10. 2000 years of history proves that the problems in Afghanistan by the military.

Ask Alexander the Great, the Mongols, the British, and the Soviet armies, they all failed, just as our efforts have to date. The military sees only military solutions, and that's their job, but counter-terrorism plans need a diplomatic approach that combines policing, political and economic measures.

Trump is a one trick pony. He has no foreign policies in place and there is no one at State qualified to step in, all he has is his generals, and the only thing they can give him in more wars.

[Volaris]

19. Yep. When your only tool is a hammer, everything looks like a damn nail.

The keys are education and economic growth. You get the NEGATIVE/OPPOSITE via military occupation.

IF we were using that military for a 20-year plan to facilitate the education of a new generation of afghan government and citizenery,I might buy into it...provided the Congress were willing to shell out for what was really needed. As it stands now.. .
Nope. No fucking way. All he's going to accomplish is to get good people on both sides killed for No Good Reason. Russia must be laughing their fool heads off.

[uponit7771]

11. Distraction, needs another poll bump

[LuckyLib]

17. This is it. Pure distraction!

[Ccarmona]

12. Ask the former Soviet Union How a Prolonged War in Afghanistan Worked for Them

Foolish policy by a bunch of war mongers. We never internally examine why Groups such as the Taliban & ISIS hate the US. Pull out now!! After 16 years it's apparent that unless this Country's leadership changes its attitudes, we will be mired in a no win war. It's Vietnam all over again, except it's an all-volunteer War.

[NightWatcher]

14. Send a few more, wait a month, declare victory, bring em home

As long as more come back home I'll be happy

[malaise]

15. The only people winning in Afghanistan are the heroin

traffickers

Get the fuck out

[Not Ruth]

16. Get out of Afghanistan, should have been out 15 years ago

[haveahart]

18. So he is keeping Obama's plan? He won't like us saying that.