No Decision Yet By Trump On Additional Troops: McMaster

Afghan Voice Agency(AVA),Addressing a White House press briefing on Saturday night, the U.S President’s National Security Advisor H.R McMaster said that Donald Trump has not yet made a decision regarding the deployment of additional troops to Afghanistan.

McMaster said that Trump will have the opportunity to hear from allies during his upcoming foreign trip, which will include stops at the NATO summit and the gathering of G7 nations.

On the issue of additional troops, McMaster said: “The president has not made a decision yet on a course of action. What we have done which is what we have done in many cases on the North Korea problems for example, is we have consulted broadly across our government and with allies.

“The president wants to hear from our allies as well. This is a president who listens to its allies and partners who have an opportunity to do this at the NATO summit, who have an opportunity to do so at the G7 and so what we'll have at the end of this next few weeks here is an opportunity for a much more effective strategy for the problems set in Afghanistan, Pakistan and the region more broadly."

He said however that the U.S had engaged in “highly successful” operations in Afghanistan against Daesh in recent weeks.

"Recently we have been engaged against ISIS (Daesh) in Afghanistan with highly successful operations there that you'll hear more about in a press conference at the Department of Defense in the near future.

“But what has happened in Afghanistan is the Afghan army has taken the brunt of the fight against these transnational terrorists and the Taliban and so we are working with our allies to figure out what more we can do to have a more effective strategy in Afghanistan. What are the options we can bring to the president to be more effective and meeting our objectives in Afghanistan and what more can we ask our allies to do what we're asking them now so this is going to be consistent with the president's guidance to us."

Previewing the trip at the daily White House briefing, McMaster said the visits to Saudi Arabia, Israel, the Vatican, Italy and Belgium will show the president's engagement with leaders around the world. He said the president will begin in Saudi Arabia.

“He will encourage our Arab and Muslim partners to take bold new steps to promote peace and to confront those from ISIS to Al-Qaeda to Iran to the Assad regime who perpetuate chaos and violence that has inflicted so much suffering throughout the Muslim world and beyond.

He will lead the first steps toward a stronger, more capable and more robust security partnership with our Gulf, Arab and Muslim partners.

And he will develop a strong, respectful message that the United States and the entire civilized world expects our Muslim allies to take a strong stand against radical Islamist ideology, an ideology that uses a perverted interpretation of religion to justify crimes against all humanity. He will call for Muslim leaders to promote a peaceful vision of Islam."

McMaster said: "America first didn't mean American alone ever I don't think and so what we have done is advance the president's agenda in national security by strengthening alliances by burden sharing. Americans don't have to do everything. Don't have to bankroll everything and our allies and partners are grateful for I think the president's leadership in asking them to do more."