White Paper: Afghan Mission To Continue

The U.S. and its coalition partners will continue to bolster Afghan military and security forces in the continuing fight against Taliban and Islamic State fighters there, according to a Pentagon white paper delivered to Congress this month. U.S. strength in Afghanistan stood at 9,800 through most of this year, while partner nations provided another 6,876. “The continued U.S. and coalition presence in Afghanistan  is focused on making progress in developing the ANDSF [Afghan National Defense and Security Forces] into a more effective, sustainable, and affordable force that can protect the Afghan people and contribute to regional and international security,” the Pentagon stated. Despite that optimistic spin, the paper’s authors also noted that enemy fighters have demonstrated considerable resilience – even in light of missions that have killed several senior leaders. The authors stated that Pakistan must play a key role in the region’s security, noting that Taliban and Islamic State fighters constantly operate across borders.