Obama Expands Military’s Role in Afghan War He Sought to End
- U.S. forces to have more authority to accompany Afghan troops
- Taliban say the decision will be a ‘waste’ of money, lives
President Barack Obama and U.S. Major General Bradley A. Becker, commander of the military district of Washington, listen to the national anthem before placing a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknowns to honor Memorial Day at Arlington National Cemetery on May 30, 2016, in Arlington, Virginia.
Photographer: BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP/Getty ImagesU.S. troops will deploy alongside conventional Afghan forces as President Barack Obama, in a sign that peace negotiations and nation-building in Afghanistan have foundered, broadens a mission he had long hoped would be over by year-end.
American forces will have an expanded mandate to target groups including the Taliban in Afghanistan, aiding their Afghan counterparts not only in training and advising but also accompanying them on the ground and in the air, an administration official said. The U.S. has had troops in Afghanistan since just after the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.