AMMAN: President Donald Trump has a made adecision on the United States´ strategy for Afghanistan after a
"sufficiently rigorous" review process, Defense Secretary JimMattis said on Sunday.
However, Mattis did not provide details on when the WhiteHouse would make an announcement or what the decision was on
Afghanistan, where fighting still rages more than 15 years afterUSforces invaded and overthrew a Taliban government.
Soon after taking office in January, the Trumpadministration began a review of USpolicy on Afghanistan,which has expanded into a broader South Asia review.
"I am very comfortable that the strategic process wassufficiently rigorous and did not go in with a pre-setposition," Mattis told reporters traveling with him aboard amilitary aircraft to Jordan.
"The president has made a decision.
As he said, he wants to be the one to announce it to theAmerican people.
"After Trump met with his national security aides on Fridayto review an array of options for Afghan strategy, the WhiteHouse said no decision had been made on whether he would commitmore troops to America´s longest war.
However, Trump tweeted onSaturday: "many decisions made, including on Afghanistan".
USofficials have told Reuters that the president wasexpected to be briefed on options ranging from a completewithdrawal of U
Stroops in Afghanistan to a modest increase.
One USofficial, speaking on the condition of anonymity,said Trump´s top national security aides are backing addingbetween 3,000 and 5,000 troops and allowing them to embed withAfghan forces closer to combat.
Democratic USSenator Tim Kaine said lawmakers werewaiting for the Trump administration to articulate its strategyon Afghanistan before making a judgment on troops.
"The troop strength question is sort of cart before thehorse," Kaine told CBS´ "Face the Nation" on Sunday.
"The realquestion is what is our strategy? And then when you lay out thestrategy, the troop strength question can kind of answer
itself.
"Michael Kugelman, with the Woodrow Wilson Center think tankin Washington, said an extended strategy review was somewhat
positive because it showed that all options were beingconsidered.
However, recent gains by Taliban militants made itimperative that a strategy be announced soon.
According to USestimates, government forces control lessthan 60 percent of Afghanistan, with almost half the countryeither contested or under the control of the insurgents.
"The Taliban insurgency has never been stronger.We need astrategy to address all this, and fast," Kugelman said.