WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — US Secretary of Defense James Mattis said on Friday that the US Department of Defense is close to completing its policy review for new strategy in Afghanistan.
"We're not going to meet some timeline if we're not ready. But we're pretty close," Mattis told reporters when asked about the review.
In March, White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer said the Trump administration is conducting a thorough review of US policy on Afghanistan in order to craft the best approach to combat the Islamic State terror group (outlawed in Russia).
The Trump administration is considering increasing the number of US troops in Afghanistan by 3,000-5,000 to assist Afghan security forces trying to maintain stability in the country, according to US media reports.
