Any plan to set U.S strength in Afghanistan at 8,600 troops would hinge upon “conditions” in the country, rather than promises made by the Taliban, Marine Corps Gen. Joseph F. Dunford, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, believes.
“We have very specific conditions, and if they are not met, my assumption is negotiations will run down,” Dunford told the Council on Foreign Relations on Sept. 5.
Seapower magazine reported that the conditions include a reduction of Taliban insurgency to a manageable level for Afghan security forces. Any policies in regards to Afghanistan must be made within the context of the National Defense Strategy, Dunford said. Threats posed by China and Russia remain a factor as well, he said, adding that future defense budgets must provide resources to do so, Seapower reported.
