Pick to lead Afghanistan forces says situation is worsening

The Pentagon has named Lieutenant General John Nicholson as the new commander of global forces in Afghanistan, amid concerns about setbacks in the fight against Taliban in the war-torn nation.

Lt. Gen. John W. Mick Nicholson Jr.is to lead the United States military mission in Afghanistan.

Though several senators enthusiastically endorsed Nicholson’s nomination, his confirmation still needs to be approved by the full Senate.

The U.S. now has about 9,800 troops in Afghanistan for counterterrorism activities and to train and advise Afghan security forces. Instead he said they would shrink to 5,500 by the end of the year. Nicholson, who has served about 3 1/2 years in Afghanistan, would receive a fourth star and likely take command of U.S. Forces Afghanistan and NATO’s Resolute Support mission in March.

Nicholson previously commanded the 82nd Airborne Division and served in worldwide assignments with NATO global Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan and NATO Implementation Force in Sarajevo.

The Obama administration granted the USA forces new authority to target loyalists of the terror group in Afghanistan earlier this month, a move followed shortly after the U.S. Department of State designated the Khorasan branch of the terror as a terrorist organization. Some suggest that Obama may be asked this year to maintain the current level of 9,800 troops until he leaves office in January 2017.

“We need to prevent Kandahar from falling into the hands of the Taliban”, Nicholson said, adding he would “absolutely” recommend using USA military force to prevent the Taliban from retaking the provincial capital.

“Although we’ve seen improvements … in some areas we have years to go, in particular the aviation area”, Nicholson said.

“By now, we should have learned from the precipitous withdrawal from Iraq and the disaster that ensued that wars do not end because politicians say so”, McCain said.

A Pentagon report released last month said the security situation in Afghanistan deteriorated in the second half of 2015, with Taliban militants staging more attacks and inflicting far more casualties on Afghan forces. But the question matched a seemingly unanimous sentiment from members of the committee who spoke Thursday that a premature US withdrawal from Afghanistan is unwise, and that the situation on the ground may require looser restrictions or even more troops.

“This is Afghanistan. There will always be some level of violence in Afghanistan”, Nicholson said.

The general chosen by Barack Obama to command the Afghanistan war through the end of his presidency has signaled an intention to intensify counter-terrorism efforts and re-evaluate the schedule for troop reductions.