Afghanistan: US President authorizes broader role for US forces

US President Barack Obama has granted the US military greater ability to support and train Afghan forces in the fight against resilient Taliban insurgents, to support them more actively on the front, said a US official to the news agency Reuters, reports Patria.

A senior US official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said that this decision would also mean greater use of US air power, especially close air support.

However, he warned at the same time:

- This is not a blank check to target the Taliban.

The presidential decision will redefine the US support role in the conflict in Afghanistan more than a year after international troops ended their combat mission and shifted the burden to Afghan forces.

This decision will precede the eagerly awaited presidential decision regarding the planned reduction of US forces from the current 9,800 to 5,500 by early 2017.

Groups of retired generals and senior diplomats suggested to Obama last week that he abandon such plans, warning that they could weaken the fight against the Taliban, whose leader was killed in a US drone strike last month in Pakistan.

Additional resources can be deployed "only in situations where their deployment can lead to a strategic effect on the ground," the official said.

This means that US forces will not be alongside Afghan soldiers on daily missions.

- This additional flexibility is fully supported by the Afghan government and will help the Afghans at this significant moment in their history, the US official added to Reuters.