US not to repeat past mistakes in Afghanistan: Mattis

In a statement released after the new authorities granted to Pentagon by President Trump regarding the Afghanistan war, Mattis said “This will enable our military to have greater agility to conduct operations, recognizing our military posture there is part of a broader regional context.”

Mattis further added that the danger continues to evolve and that danger requires a commitment to defeat terrorist organizations that threaten the United States, other nations, and the people of Afghanistan.
“For example, ISIS has established a branch in Khorasan Province, al-Qaeda and other terrorist groups remain active inside Afghanistan, and the Taliban continue to pose a challenge to the democratically elected government,” he added.

Insisting that the US cannot allow Afghanistan to once again become a launching point for attacks on US homeland and it’s allies, Mattis said “We are making progress in degrading these groups, but their defeat will come about only by giving our men and women on the ground the support and the authorities they need to win.”

“This decision is part of a broader strategy we are developing that addresses our role in Afghanistan and beyond. We will present this to the President in the coming weeks. We will continue to work with our allies and we will ask more of them,” he said, adding that “Working with the Afghan government and our allies and partners, we will achieve victory against the terrorists abroad, protect our borders at home, and keep America safe.”