Afghan strategy review is hard: Mattis

The delay in concluding the review is due to a continuing wrangle among agencies and departments

U.S. Secretary of Defence Jim Mattis gives a news conference after a NATO defence ministers meeting at the Alliance headquarters in Brussels, Belgium June 29, 2017. REUTERS/Eric Vidal

An ongoing review of the U.S. strategy in Afghanistan is “hard” and will take more time, Secretary of Defence James Mattis told reporters in the Pentagon on Friday. According to the original plan of the Trump administration, the process was to be concluded by the end of June.

President Donald Trump has delegated to Mr. Mattis the decision on an increase in troop levels in Afghanistan.

Reports have since suggested that America might add up to 4,000 soldiers in Afghanistan, but a decision on that is yet to be taken, Mr. Mattis said. The delay in concluding the review is due to a continuing wrangle among agencies and departments. “Afghanistan — so we’re working on the strategy, moving it — inter-agency-wise, moving it forward,” Mr. Mattis said. He countered a suggestion that he had “figured out the troop numbers a long time ago”.

“No, actually, we haven’t... because part of it has to do with what is State (Department)’s level of — or their perspective of the way ahead, and so what do we need to do along a line of effort that supports them. You want to get this thing right, you know, get the clarity,” Mr. Mattis said.

“So, no, it’s not finalised yet. I know everyone is batted around numbers, and they may turn out to be right. But I’m not giving it any credence right now,” the Secretary said. Speaking in Australia last month, Mr. Mattis had indicated that the U.S. would be willing to make an open-ended security commitment in Afghanistan.

Regional challenge

On Friday, he said aligning the military strategy with the broader political strategy for the region is the challenge. “We have a new strategy and align everything... Welcome to strategy. Seriously, this is hard, and there’s a reason we’ve gotten into some wars in our nation’s history and didn’t know how to end them. This is hard work, and anyone who says otherwise is someone who has not had to either deal with it, or deal with the consequences of the decisions they made. It is hard work,” he said.

Asked whether it is the “Pakistan angle” that is complicating the process, Mr. Mattis said: “The strategy, you’re right to say that strategy is wrapping all that into a regional context.” Mr. Mattis admitted that the regional strategic concerns are being discussed in the inter-agency discussions.

The U.S. is still keen on pursuing a political deal with the Taliban. But it has no clarity on relations with countries around Afghanistan.