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'We won't talk troop numbers': Trump vows 'clear definition of victory' in Afghanistan (VIDEO) No troop pullout, threats to Pakistan in Trump speech on new Afghanistan strategy (VIDEO)
(about 4 hours later)
President Donald Trump will loosen the rules of engagement for US troops in Afghanistan, but did not specify any changes in numbers of troops during his national address on the war at the Army's Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall, next to Arlington National Cemetery. US President Donald Trump said he ordered the US military to aggressively engage the Taliban and “fight to win” in Afghanistan “killing terrorists,” signaling there will be no “rapid exit” from the 16-year war.
"Our troops will fight to win," Trump said, and he insisted victory in Afghanistan would be clearly defined. “Our troops will fight to win,” Trump said, and he insisted victory in Afghanistan would be clearly defined. In his assertive speech at the Army's Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall, next to Arlington National Cemetery, the president said, “My administration will ensure that you, the brave defenders of the American people, will have the necessary tools and rules of engagement to make this strategy work.”
"Finally," the president said, "my administration will ensure that you, the brave defenders of the American people, will have the necessary tools and rules of engagement to make this strategy work." READ MORE: Swamp for Trump: Third US President vows to win 16-year Afghan War
"But we will no longer use American military might to construct democracies in far away lands, or try to rebuild other countries in our own image – those days are now over," Trump said. "Instead, we will work with allies and partners to protect our shared interests. We are not asking others to change their way of life, but to pursue common goals that allow our children to live better lives.  This Principled Realism will guide our decisions moving forward." Trump spoke as he presented a new Afghanistan strategy that as Trump said was under consideration right after his inauguration.
Trump was widely expected to heed the advice of his senior advisors Monday evening and announce an increase of the number of US troops in Afghanistan, which currently stands around 8,400. No pullout, fast & powerful retribution
About 2,400 Americans have died in the war, the longest in the US’ history. “My original instinct was to pull out – and, historically, I like following my instincts,” he went on. “But all my life I've heard that decisions are much different when you sit behind the desk in the Oval Office; in other words, when you're President of the United States.”He concluded differently, however.
READ MORE: 'US campaign in Afghanistan has failed, troops should leave' – Russian envoy “A hasty withdrawal,” Trump said, would create a “vacuum” for terrorists. He argued that “9/11, the worst terrorist attack in our history, was planned and directed from Afghanistan because that country was ruled by a government that gave comfort and shelter to terrorists.
“The consequences of a rapid exit are both predictable and unacceptable,” he added.
He reiterated the statement again, saying the US troops will remain in the country for an indefinite term.
“Conditions on the ground – not arbitrary timetables – will guide our strategy from now on. America’s enemies must never know our plans or believe they can wait us out,” he stressed. Trump said he “won’t talk” troop numbers from now on.
About 2,400 Americans have died in the war, the longest in US history. Trump is the third American president promising to win the war, preceded by George W. Bush, who originally sent troops to Afghanistan, and Barack Obama, who repeatedly vowed to pull them out.
Trump also said that he has lifted restrictions by the previous administration “to expand authority for American armed forces to target the terrorist and criminal networks that sow violence and chaos throughout Afghanistan.” He added that “no place is beyond the reach of American might and Americans arms. Retribution will be fast and powerful.”
This time, the American strategy will become more assertive, Trump said.
“Someday, after an effective military effort, perhaps it will be possible to have a political settlement that includes elements of the Taliban in Afghanistan, but nobody knows if or when that will ever happen,” he noted.
Building the future and making a lasting peace now rests exclusively with the Afghans, Trump hinted. “We are a partner and a friend, but we will not dictate to the Afghan people how to live, or how to govern their own complex society,” he said, adding, “We are not nation-building again. We are killing terrorists.”
Trump was widely expected to heed the advice of his senior advisers Monday evening and announce an increase of the number of US troops in Afghanistan, which currently stands around 8,400.
Defense Secretary James Mattis released a statement saying that he had “directed the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff to make preparations to carry out the president’s strategy.”
“I will be in consultation with the Secretary General of NATO and our allies—several of which have also committed to increasing their troop numbers. Together, we will assist the Afghan Security forces to destroy the terrorist hub,” Mattis said.
Threats to Pakistan & Afghanistan
Donald Trump also slammed Pakistan for “sheltering terrorists,” despite being a key US ally receiving billions of dollars.
“Pakistan has also sheltered the same organizations that try every single day to kill our people. We have been paying Pakistan billions and billions of dollars at the same time they are housing the very terrorists that we are fighting. But that will have to change, and that will change immediately. No partnership can survive a country’s harboring of militants and terrorists who target US service-members and officials.”
The US president threatened to change America’s stance on Pakistan if it’s “continuing to harbor criminals and terrorists.”
“It is time for Pakistan to demonstrate its commitment to civilization, order, and to peace. We can no longer be silent about Pakistan’s safe havens for terrorist organizations, the Taliban and other groups that pose a threat to the region and beyond. Pakistan has much to gain from partnering with our effort in Afghanistan,” Trump said.
Trump began his remarks addressing the recent violent political divisions, most vividly seen in Charlottesville, Virginia, last week. Speaking of the role played by the Afghan government in restring peace in the country, Trump said US patience is running out as “America will work with the Afghan government as long as we see determination and progress. However, our commitment is not unlimited, and our support is not a blank check. The government of Afghanistan must carry their share of the military, political, and economic burden. The American people expect to see real reforms, real progress, and real results. Our patience is not unlimited.”
"When one part of America hurts, we all hurt," Trump said, adding, "Loyalty to our nation demands loyalty to one another." However, Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid dismissed Trump's remarks on Afghanistan, saying they were “old” and “unclear,” the Associated Press reported.
Trump added that US troops fighting wars abroad "deserve to return to a country that is not at war with itself at home." He went on to state that the Taliban will come out with a more detailed response in the future. Last week the Taliban released a 1,600-word open letter to the president warning him against a troop surge and advising that he withdraw the troops altogether.
Trump acknowledged that his "instincts" told him to pull out troops from Afghanistan. “Previous experiences have shown that sending more troops to Afghanistan will not result in anything other than further destruction of American military and economical might,” the Taliban said, adding that they are not ready for peace talks until the US and NATO give a timeline for troop withdrawal.
As a presidential candidate, Trump expressed frustration with former President Barack Obama’s policies in Afghanistan. Trump had tweeted to "get out" as recently as November 2013 and as early as August 2011. Russia, a major security provider in Central Asia, has recently voiced criticism over the US involvement in Afghanistan.
"Historically, I like following my instincts," Trump said. He concluded differently, however. “The American campaign in Afghanistan has failed. Afghanistan risks becoming a global incubator of international terrorism. It has, in fact, already partially grown to become it,” Zamir Kabulov, who is also the Russian Foreign Ministry's director of the Second Asian Department in Afghanistan, told Izvestia daily in mid-August.
"A hasty withdrawal," Trump said, would create a "vacuum" for terrorists.
Trump lamented the 20 terrorist groups operating in Afghanistan and Pakistan, the "highest concentration in any region, anywhere in the world," he said.
READ MORE: 1 US soldier killed, 11 wounded battling ISIS in Afghanistan
"Pakistan often gives safe haven to agents of chaos," he said, noting that there is nuclear-powered tensions between Pakistan and its neighbor India.
Trump called terrorists "nothing but thugs and criminals and, that's right, losers."
"We will not talk about numbers of troops," Trump said.
"Conditions on the ground," not public timetables, will determine the US' strategy, he said.
"I will not say when we are going to attack, but attack we will," he added.
"We are not nation building again. We are killing terrorists," he said.
Defense Secretary James Mattis released a statement saying that he had "directed the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff to make preparations to carry out the president’s strategy."
"I will be in consultation with the Secretary General of NATO and our allies—several of which have also committed to increasing their troop numbers. Together, we will assist the Afghan Security forces to destroy the terrorist hub," Mattis said.
However, Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid dismissed Trump's remarks on Afghanistan, saying they were "old" and "unclear," the Associated Press reported.
He went on to state that the Taliban will come out with a more detailed response in the future.
Last week the Taliban released a 1,600-word open letter to the president warning him against a troop surge. They also said that they are not ready for peace talks until the US and NATO give a timeline for troop withdrawal.