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US Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis announced in September that the US will send more than 3,000 troops to Afghanistan in an effort to win America's 16-year war there. It indicates US President Donald Trump's reversed view of former President Obama's policy on the war.
"America will continue its support for the Afghan government and the Afghan military as they confront the Taliban in the field," Trump said in his speech about future US strategy in Afghanistan in August, opening a door to a modest increase in its troop numbers in Afghanistan.
File photo of Taliban fighters
Trump is looking to completely wipe out the legacies of his predecessors. His newest decision is a reversal of what Barack Obama set in motion – withdrawing troops from the embattled country.
During the 10th anniversary of the war in Afghanistan, then US President Barack Obama sent out a message, saying that the war should be ended.
Obama's policy was originally praised by Trump, who tweeted, "When will we stop wasting our money on rebuilding Afghanistan? We must rebuild our country first."
Trump had originally promised to minimize America's involvement abroad. Critics now say that the US President's "America First" policy was the biggest loser after his recent reversal on Afghanistan.
Currently, there are 11,000 US soldiers serving in Afghanistan as the US role in Afghanistan has shifted in the past 16 years.
It started as efforts to fight terrorists responsible for the 9/11 attack, but evolved into a peacekeeping mission for the country's shaky democracy.
(CGTN)
