NEW YORK (Sputnik) — The US military is already planning what the size and scope of forces in Central and South Asia might be for when the mission to defeat the Daesh terrorist group (outlawed in Russia) is wrapped up, US Air Forces Central Command Head Lt. Gen. Jeffrey Harrigian said at a press conference on Friday.
"With respect to Afghanistan, the intent would be, and we are already in the mode of starting to plan for when this mission is completed and we militarily defeated ISIS [Daesh] — what does our footprint look like there," Harrigian said.
US forces seek to provide the security and stability in the region to give Afghan partners an opportunity to work out a long-term political solution, Harrigian added.
On September 18, the US Defense Department announced it would send more than 3,000 additional soldiers to Afghanistan.
US President Donald Trump announced a new US strategy for Afghanistan on August 21. President Trump pledged to continue US support for the Afghan authorities in their fight against Islamic extremists and to expand the authorities for US troops to target terrorists in Afghanistan.
