Change Of US Command Set In Afghanistan

Gen. Nicholson appeared poised to win confirmation and could be headed to…

He said that those threats have grown – with the the resurgence of the Taliban, the emergence of the so-called Islamic State and the growth of a branch of al-Qaeda in the Kandahar province. Before that he spent 14 months as director of the Pentagon s Afghanistan-Pakistan coordination cell. Gen. John Nicholson, served as undersecretary for memorial affairs in the Veterans Affairs Department.

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.

“As the security situation in Afghanistan continues to deteriorate, it makes no strategic or military sense to continue the withdrawal of American forces”, Mr. McCain said.

Nicholson would succeed Gen. John F. Campbell, who is expected to retire.

Armed Services committee members questioned whether the United States was doing enough to ensure success in Afghanistan where there is a plan to reduce American troops by 40 percent by 2016’s end.

Nicholson said he has seen significant progress in recent years, as USA troops have shifted from a wartime stance to a dual mission of training local allies and conducting counterterrorism operations.

“We do need to think about an enduring commitment” to Afghanistan, said the former commander of the 82nd Airborne Division.

Carter’s statement acknowledged Nicholson will face challenges, but it credited Campbell with working closely with the Afghan government and the country’s security forces to increase their abilities. He has served there for a combined three and a half years, more than any other US general, said Sen. 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.

Nicholson’s nomination, and a promotion to four-star rank, needs Senate approval.

Nicholson said he did not want to insert himself in dialogue started by Campbell and his staff because he wasn’t confirmed, but still signaled support for the measure, citing a request made by Afghan President Ashraf Ghani for more air power.

“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”, said Mr. McCain, Arizona Republican.

The Pentagon’s nominee to lead operations in Afghanistan claimed Thursday that less US troops in Afghanistan could lead to a higher risk for another major terrorist attack on the U.S.