MOSCOW (Sputnik) – Last week NATO Resolute Support Mission Commander Gen. John Nicholson said he plans to request more troops in Afghanistan to prevent the country from becoming a terrorist safe haven.
"On the question about the more forces for Afghanistan, the suggestion and recommendations coming in to us from the NATO commander in the field have been received. We are reviewing those right now… Obviously, in light of our relationship with the UK, we always engage with them on issues like this… So we'll be working with our allies on that issue, we have not made a decision yet. I have not put a recommendation forward to our president at this time," Mattis told a press conference.
The United States and its allies launched a military operation in Afghanistan in 2001 following 9/11 terror attacks. The mission in Afghanistan ended on December 28, 2014. On January 1, 2015, NATO announced its new mission in the country, called Resolute Support, to train and assist the Afghan security forces.
Afghanistan has been experiencing significant political, social and security-related instability for decades, as terrorist organizations, including the Taliban and Daesh, both outlawed in Russia, continue to stage attacks against civilian and military targets.
