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[NyMartin90]

PBS livestream.
https://youtu.be/K5B7Yndw7ls

By Eli Watkins, CNN
Updated 4:04 PM ET, Sun August 20, 2017

Washington (CNN)President Donald Trump will outline the United States' "path forward" in Afghanistan in a speech Monday night, the White House announced Sunday.

Trump's address, scheduled for 9 p.m. ET Monday at Fort Myer in Arlington, Virginia, comes as Trump and Secretary of Defense James Mattis have said a decision has been made on a new US strategy in Afghanistan.
Earlier Sunday, Mattis confirmed a decision has been made, but declined to offer details about the decision, saying Trump would choose when to make the announcement.
"He wants to be the one to announce it to the American people," Mattis said on Sunday, later adding, "He now needs the weekend to collect his thoughts on how he's going to explain it to the American people."
Trump tweeted Saturday that an Afghanistan strategy was one of the issues decided upon at a meeting with top administration officials at Camp David on Friday.

Mattis said Sunday that the strategy covered more than Afghanistan and was a full "South Asia strategy."
Trump's team has been working on a new US strategy in Afghanistan for months now. Mattis told the Senate Armed Services Committee in June that he would be able to present a strategy for victory there in mid-July. But the deliberations continued past that deadline, and Mattis said last Monday that the administration was "very, very close" to a decision after presenting Trump with a wide range of options, including everything from a surge of troops there to a full withdrawal.
During the strategy review, outside voices tried to present their own visions for Afghanistan. Arizona Republican Sen. John McCain presented one that would involve an increase in US troops and further airstrikes, while Erik Prince -- the founder of the security company Blackwater -- pressed the US to move its strategy largely over to the private sector.
The shift in US strategy would mark the latest of many chapters in the long-running operations in Afghanistan.

This will be interesting to see what will happen in America's longest war.

 

[liquidtmd]

 

[Trouble]

He's gonna announce a ramp up in troop numbers. Breitbart and the alt-right are going to go ballistic on the (((globalists))) in the administration.

 

[Wet Bloodfart]

It's going to be troop increases. Because the fucker needs a war to increase his poll numbers.

 

[kmax]

Whatever distracts from Russia, Trump won't care what it is. He'll do it.

 

[Weckum]

Please don't let it be Erik Prince and his ragtag band of merry killers.

 

[Karkador]

I thought he "never liked to announce what the plan is" because it will give our enemies all the info or some shit.

 

[ClosingADoor]

Bush failed, Obama couldn't do it. The Russians couldn't in the 80s. It's just not possible to "win" in this country in modern times with the country structured the way it is. Trump will also fail.

 

[Trouble]

Whatever distracts from Russia, Trump won't care.

Making common cause with Nazis and the KKK did a pretty good job of distracting from Russia.

 

[Gurgelhals]

Mattis said Sunday that the strategy covered more than Afghanistan and was a full "South Asia strategy."

He's going to go to war with Iran, isn't he? :-/

 

[Zolo]

I thought he "never liked to announce what the plan is" because it will give our enemies all the info or some shit.

.

 

[Herr Schwarz]

Well I hope it also includes an aid package to Afghanistan also, it'll never get better until fighters there have alternatives and something to lose.

Pulling out would just create a terrorist breeding ground.

 

[RPGCrazied]

Same time the Paul Ryan town hall is on CNN. Its no coincidence.

 

[CassidyIzABeast]

When do we start dropping the nukes?

 

[Escape Goat]

How about a path forward here in America while we're at it?


If Trump wants to announce it then hes sending more troops in. He wants to appear as the strong man he so desperately craves.

 

[sflufan]

‘Dereliction of Duty’ author urges escalation of unwinnable, never-ending war

 

[Oberon]

So how much if his plane will be possible war crimes they could commit?

 

[Tamanon]

I assume a good portion of the speech will be blaming President Obama.

And then more troops, because we're thiiiiiiiiis close to winning, whatever winning is.

 

[Wet Bloodfart]

Same time the Paul Ryan town hall is on CNN. Its no coincidence.

Christ. We are going to war with Iran aren't we.

 

[Gordon Shumway]

Send in the Klan!

 

[ShadowSwordmaster]

Bush failed, Obama couldn't do it. The Russians couldn't in the 80s. It's just not possible to "win" in this country in modern times with the country structured the way it is. Trump will also fail.

Yep. This feels like what Nixon went through with the Vietnam War.

 

[aeolist]

it's privatization

they're basically giving carte blanche to PMCs, which will cost more and probably result in far worse human rights abuses even compared to the US army which is already bad enough

 

[blackjaw]

Let me guess, he bought into Eric Princes private army BS

 

[RPGCrazied]

And of course Trump is sending in more troops. What does he have to lose with a 34% approval rating? Wouldn't surprise me.

 

[Tovarisc]

Please don't let it be Erik Prince and his ragtag band of merry killers.

Apparently Kelly and McMaster made their damnest to block Prince lobby from reaching Trump.

 

[Fox318]

I honestly expect him to outsource it to a PMC.

 

[Gabriel_Logan]

You know the Dutch East India company was a great idea, great idea. Which I came up with.

 

[DogDude]

If he could fix this situation it would turn his entire presidency around and ensure him 8 years.


Good luck, he will need it lol.

 

[HeisenbergLannister]

90% of the press conference of will be focused on fake news, Crooked Hillary, Obama and his big Electoral College win.

 

[GKSilKamina]

He's going to send in more troops. Big troops. The biggest troops in all of history. You've never seen troops so big. Obama wishes he had troops as big. Etc, etc.

 

[Albino_Yeti]

Remember when he was vehemently anti-war?

Pepper ridge farm remembers.

 

[aeolist]

You know the Dutch East India company was a great idea, great idea. Which I came up with.

i write the best letters of marque, simply fantastic

 

[Lebron]

90% of the press conference of will be focused on fake news, Crooked Hillary, Obama and his big Electoral College win.

And declassifying information by opening his mouth about it

 

[RPGCrazied]

He's going to send in more troops. Big troops. The biggest troops in all of history. You've never seen troops so big. Obama wishes he had troops as big. Etc, etc.

Tremendous troops, the best, big league.

 

[norm9]

Joint US Russia strike against the evil Al Quedas in Afghanistan. Book it.

 

[Escape Goat]

*Update - Its day 212

 

[Shauni]

I mean, I think it's pretty obvious that nothing at this point will truly 'distract' from the Russian story. It always comes back in the end one way or another.

 

[Electric Eye]

It's going to be troop increases. Because the fucker needs a war to increase his poll numbers.

Except this isn't what anyone wants not even his base. It's the exact opposite. It's probably not troops and most likely contractors, Erik Prince wants back in there to make money like his sister.

 

[Kensation]

My prediction: Big Success!

 

[djplaeskool]

Bush failed, Obama couldn't do it. The Russians couldn't in the 80s. It's just not possible to "win" in this country in modern times with the country structured the way it is. Trump will also fail.

You know what they say about getting involved in land wars in Asia...

 

[Muppet of a Man]

it's privatization

they're basically giving carte blanche to PMCs, which will cost more and probably result in far worse human rights abuses even compared to the US army which is already bad enough

Kojima has been the actual prophet the whole time.

 

[jetjevons]

Handing the war effort over to Blackwater.

 

[Dandare4444]

More troops = Higher Viewing Figures

 

[fluffydelusions]

Here's his plan

 

[Tovarisc]

Kojima has been the actual prophet the whole time.

US using PMC's hasn't particularly been a secret for long, long time. It just has been increasing as it allows them to wash their hands of a lot of shit from management to possible war crimes.

 

[Kettch]

Arizona Republican Sen. John McCain presented one that would involve an increase in US troops and further airstrikes

I'm gonna go out on a limb and say he doesn't go with this one. McCain should be lobbying for the opposite of whatever he wants.

 

[sangreal]

reminder that the only reason they are scrambling to come up with a plan is because Trump rejected anything he thought was too close to Obama's. ISIS too

Also, Erik Prince is Betsy Devos' brother

 

[Locke562]

God I hope it's not privitization.

 

[Air Zombie Meat]

Let me guess, more war? Genius. Only been 16 years of it let's just keep going.

 

[antonz]

You know what they say about getting involved in land wars in Asia...

Afghanistan isn't necessarily hard to get under control its Unifying the people to a singular cause that is a problem especially when Outside forces are just as interested in disorganization. US interfered heavily when Russia Invaded and now Russia helps the Taliban quite a bit as revenge.

Afghanistan is in a vital spot geopolitically which pretty much means fuckery is inevitable and the people suffer. Always heartbreaking to see what Afghanistan used to beand what it has turned into