The Trump Administration’s new “Security Force Assistance Brigade” concept, the freezing of foreign aid to Pakistan until they make progress on dismantling terrorist safe havens, and ongoing Afghanistan-Taliban political settlement talks are positive steps deserving of 12 more months.
In an OpEd piece published by Fox News on February 8, 2018, Senator Rand Paul called on President Trump to declare victory in Afghanistan and bring home our troops. Senator Paul makes the case that our major objectives have been met and that further involvement is the product of an unreasonable definition of victory.
In December of 2013, Pat Buchanan had similar semi-isolationist sentiments stating, “Neo-isolationism is the direct product of foolish globalism … Compared to people who thought they could run the universe, or at least the globe, I am neo-isolationist and proud of it.”
At the cursory level, these opinions are not unreasonable. The average American, by nature, abhors long-term military entanglements in foreign countries. In a world that is dominated by nations that prey upon their neighbors, Americans want no part of their dramas and aggressions. America is worn out. This author empathizes with these views.
At the other end of the spectrum, there are those in this country who have never come across an international conflict where they did not envision the U.S. mediating the outcome.
In a world that is dominated by nations that prey upon their neighbors, Americans want no part of their dramas and aggressions. America is worn out. This author empathizes with these views.
Over the past 15 years, the American people have been the victim of under-informed and politically-driven leadership. We have rashly depleted our human, monetary and spiritual capital. It is time for a paradigm shift to a more insightful and pragmatic engagement model. With the Trump-Mattis team, the paradigm shift is underway.
During 2009-2010 there were about 100,000 troops in Afghanistan and 100,000 more in Iraq.
After observing the disaster that occurred in the aftermath of President Obama’s total withdrawal of American troops from Iraq in 2011, leaving a void for ISIS to fill, President Trump decided not to make that mistake in Afghanistan. He inherited 8,450 troops in Afghanistan in 2017, with the plan for a complete withdrawal in 2018.
President Trump, seeing the instability in Afghanistan, decided to modestly increase troops strength to what is believed to be about 14,000 troops (POTUS Speech on 21 August 2017). In spite of this increase, 86,000 troop “positions” have already returned from Afghanistan since its height in 2009.
With the Trump-Mattis team, the paradigm shift is underway.
The Trump Administration has loosened restrictions on what U.S. troops widely called “Suicide Rules of Engagement” under the Obama Administration. Secretary of Defense Mattis and generals on the ground have much more leeway in adjusting the rules of engagement (ROE) as the situation on the ground dictates.
In 2015, President Obama was politically forced to send U.S. military advisors and close air support back to Iraq. In the four years since the U.S. Military withdrew, ISIS terrorists had overrun the Iraqi Army and taken control of much of Northern Iraq.
Soon after President Trump’s inauguration in 2017, he provided more troops to advise the Iraqi Military Coalition at the combat battalions and brigades, introduced artillery support on the ground with combat troops, ordered more close air support sorties, and provided logistics and medical assistance near the combat troops. This model worked.
The 14,000 U.S. combat advisors and support troops in Iraq and Syria were instrumental in helping defeat ISIS and regain control of Northern Iraq. Now, the U.S. Army, with the lessons learned from defeating ISIS in Iraq, has trained and activated the newly created 1st Security Force Assistance Brigade – the SFAB concept. About 800 SFAB combat advisers are expected to deploy to Afghanistan this spring alongside a few hundred soldiers from the Army’s 3rd Infantry Division, who will provide security.
“We’ve been able to communicate to our team that although Afghan tools are first, and Afghan solutions are first, a lot of times that trust is built on the front lines, shoulder to shoulder with them,” said Captain James Gaffney, a team leader in the brigade. “It’s not doing it for them, but [is] demonstrating shared risk.”
The Trump Administration, as announced by the U.S. State Department on January 4, 2018, is taking a much tougher stance on Pakistan, suspending $255 million in foreign aid until Pakistan demonstrates progress in dismantling terrorist safe havens.
The SFAB concept and the reigning-in of Pakistan’s support to dismantle its terrorist safe havens are moves in the right direction. If the U.S. withdraws from Afghanistan now, China, Russia, Iran, and ISIS will surely fill the void.
Luis Rueda, an OpsLens contributor, wrote recently about these unholy alliances and the “Changing World Order”. He States: “We are in a tumultuous period in U.S. foreign and national security policy. We face serious challenges to our power and position in the international order. Throughout the world, there appears to be a realignment of alliances and power structures, some of which present opportunities for the U.S., but many of which threaten and weaken our position.”
Afghanistan is in negotiations for a political settlement with the Taliban. Withdrawing from Afghanistan before these talks are given a chance to succeed would be damaging to the process.
The Trump Administration should monitor progress on the SFAB concept, the ongoing Afghanistan-Taliban negotiations, and Pakistan’s progress on dismantling terrorist safe havens and report back to the American people in 12 months.
