Still no decision on Afghanistan strategy moving forward...we're staring at Vietnam part 2.

via Reuters.

U.S. President Donald Trump reviewed an array of options for a strategy on Afghanistan with his top national security aides, but made no decision on whether he would commit more troops to America's longest war.

Friday's meeting was the latest in a series of high-level discussions on Afghanistan and a broader security strategy for the South Asia region that has been bogged down by internal differences.

Trump was briefed extensively "on a new strategy to protect America's interests in South Asia", White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders told reporters, after the meeting at the Camp David Maryland retreat.

"The president is studying and considering his options and will make an announcement to the American people, to our allies and partners, and to the world at the appropriate time," Sanders said.

National security adviser H.R. McMaster and other top national security officials went into the meeting backing a modest increase in troops. At a mid-July meeting, they had thrown their weight behind 3,000 to 5,000 additional U.S. and coalition soldiers.

“Anti-globalists,” who were led by Steve Bannon before he was fired on Friday as Trump's chief strategist, backed withdrawing U.S. forces, U.S. officials said.

Other options which were to be discussed included keeping the status quo of some 8,400 U.S. troops, a modest hike, or a small reduction that would focus on counter-terrorism operations enhanced by drone strikes and intelligence-gathering, they said.

Story here. 

At war for 16 years in Afghanistan and what is the strategy being pushed by the generals?

1.  Continue to train, advise and assist Afghan forces.

2.  Continue counter insurgency operations against the Taliban with SOCOM leading that effort.

It hasn't worked for 16 years but that is the play they want to use (again..for about the 5th time).

Simply amazing.

This isn't rocket science when you break it down to its component parts.  What we're doing isn't working.  What they're proposing is more of what hasn't worked in the past.  The cold fact is that this generation of generals have given us Vietnam part 2. 

Victory in Afghanistan is no longer possible. The idea that we're gonna try another "surge" (notice they don't call it that) in the hopes that we can break Taliban advances is sad and pathetic.  Time to stop wasting money, lives and material.  We've lost the second war in our history. The nation needs to accept that reality and move on.