Trump bequeaths more power to Pentagon

United States President Donald Trump has given the Defense Secretary, Jim Mattis, the authority to set the troop levels in Afghanistan. This move will allow the US Pentagon to send in thousands of more troops to the region and could ultimately decide the fate of the longest war America has fought in foreign soil.

The 15 year war

The US military was first deployed to Afghanistan in 2001 post the 9/11 attacks and currently there are about 8400 US troops in the country along with 5000 more who are part of NATO forces. Most recently, Mattis, a retired four star General testified before the US Congress  noting that the country along with Afghan military forces are struggling to defeat Taliban and need more reinforcements. Even though the coalition led by US ended the combat mission in 2014 and began the withdrawal of troops, the US is involved in backing up Afghan forces in fighting the Taliban. Mattis has also said that he will be presenting US lawmakers a detailed plan with a detailed strategy for the war in mid-July.

Donald Trump’s “hands off” approach

 Donald Trump has largely kept a distance from engaging in military operations entrusting more and more authority to the Pentagon. This is a clear departure from former presidents like Barack Obama or George W Bush, who were said to have had frequent contacts with their military commanders. In fact, even five months after assuming office, Trump had not yet met or spoken to either his Iraq or his Afghanistan military commanders.

Analysis

Trump’s own views about the war in Afghanistan have been scarce and at times contradictory. As early as 2011, he tweeted about how United States has to stop “wasting” money on rebuilding Afghanistan and ought to focus on domestic affairs instead. He, at one point, even called out the US engagement in the war a “total disaster”. However, after the presidential election, he spoke to the Afghan President Ashraf Ghani in December 2016 and reaffirmed the American government’s commitment to the region.

Assessment

 Trump’s delegation of power to the Pentagon can free arm those fighting the war with more resources and this in turn could play a vital role in turning the tide against the Taliban forces. However, this move also brings into sharp focus on how Trump, a leader with no prior experience with war, is essentially absolving himself from making tough decisions and is bequeathing the military with unprecedented power which could backfire.