Obama Ups US Air Strikes in Afghanistan

The changes will go into effect as annual fighting season in Afghanistan picks up steam. “And if the security situation continues to deteriorate, even areas where money was spent wisely and gains were made, could be jeopardized”.

Under the current rules of engagement, USA air power can be used to protect US or coalition troops on the ground, prevent the overrun of Afghan forces, or target al Qaida or Islamic State fighters. The U.S.is officially fighting al-Qaeda and Islamic State in its mission in Afghanistan. They will also broaden the circumstances under which USA ground forces can accompany Afghan forces on missions against the Taliban.

The White House has been reluctant to approve new authorities to expand the air campaign for two reasons. Beginning in March his successor General John Nicholson conducted an assessment of the battlefield situation that led to the expanded authorities approved by President Obama. Under the previous rules, United States support could be called in if: 1) USA troops were in danger; 2) the intended target was connected to Al Qaeda; or 3) Afghan forces were in danger of being routed by the Taliban.

That means that USA forces should not be expected to accompany Afghan soldiers on day-to-day missions.

“There’s been a willingness on the part of the Afghan forces to reorganise and take the fight back to their adversaries”.

That is what happened in January in southern Afghanistan when Army Staff Sergeant Matthew McLintock was killed in a firefight when the Afghan special forces he was advising were attacked by Taliban fighters, military officials said. (They could ask the Iraqis how well that worked out.) If it’s the former, then we should be talking about bringing in enough forces and using rules of engagement oriented toward victory rather than just about keeping up appearances.

A USA official told Reuters that the US commander in Afghanistan, General John Nicholson, will now be allowed to deploy USA troops alongside conventional Afghan forces, not just for special operations.

The Obama administration has made a decision to alter the rules of engagement for USA air power in Afghanistan. As a result, those soldiers who form the backbone of the Afghan military have been timid and disorganized, a state USA officials blamed for such embarrassing lapses as the fall of Kunduz past year.

According to Barack Obama, the war in Afghanistan was supposed to be over a couple of years ago, but … a amusing thing happened on the way to the withdrawal, which is that the Taliban didn’t stop fighting. He told Reuters, “The bottom line is that too much has been wasted in Afghanistan”.

The decision will give USA forces greater flexibility in how they partner with Afghan forces, but the new authorities must be used in selective operations that are deemed to have a strategic and important effect on the fight.

Defense officials cautioned the Wall Street Journal that the new rules of engagement do not amount to a carte blanche for General Jack Nicholson, commanding general of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation mission in Afghanistan.