Obama Agrees To Expand US Airstrikes Against Taliban In Afghanistan

The US are expanding airstrikes in Afghanistan due to a rebounding Taliban insurgency, senior U.S. and defense officials have said. The White House has agreed the plan for more air strikes, which will likely affect the timeline of withdrawal for the 9,800 US troops currently stationed there. Despite his claims to reduce the American military presence in Afghanistan, President Barack Obama approved a request from his war commander to more aggressively attack Taliban fighters as the group regains strength, more than 15 years after the U.S. first invaded the country. RT reports “In every step of our review of Afghanistan, the question of what’s the best way to use our forces is something we’re constantly looking at. It’s also in the same sense that we’re looking at the number of troops. We are always looking at the authorities question and the best use of our troops,” Pentagon press secretary Peter Cook said Thursday. Reuters also cited an anonymous senior US defense official in a report released late Thursday that claimed President Obama had already approved expanding the airstrikes, though the official clarified, “This is not a blanket order to target the Taliban.” Both the current top US commander in Afghanistan, [...]