Pentagon chief Jim Mattis met Nato allies Thursday to brief them on US strategy in Afghanistan as alliance agreed to bolster troop numbers to help train local forces to contain a resurgent Taliban. Members of the 29-member Nato are looking to Mattis for fresh insight about President Donald Trump's intentions in a war that has dragged on for nearly 16 years since 9/11, and one which even US generals concede is a "stalemate" at best.
"I'll share with them our appreciation of the situation, assessment of the situation, and talk about what we're doing in terms of framing the strategy and filling in any gaps left in the strategy," Mattis told reporters as he flew to Europe.
Diplomatic sources said an increase of up to 3,000 troops from the current number of 13,500 is under consideration, while US officials have said the number might be more like 4,000. Nato played the lead role in Afghan security from 2003 to the end of 2014, when it handed frontline duties to the Afghan military and took on its current advise-and-assist mission known as Resolute Support. But just over two years on, Nato commanders want more troops after recent gains by the Taliban, who have inflicted catastrophic losses on the struggling Afghan security forces.
Such requests are stoking fears that Nato could get sucked back into the conflict just as it faces a host of new threats including Russia, terrorism and cyberattacks. Stoltenberg confirmed that Nato would increase its troop numbers, though the soldiers would not be in combat. He said 15 countries had already pledged more contributions and he hoped for more, without giving a precise figure in either case.
"We don't think it's going to be peaceful and no conflicts and no violence there this year or next year or in the near future, but we believe that Afghans (are) determined and committed to fight Taliban and to stabilise their own country," Stoltenberg said.