U.S President Donald Trump has given Defense Secretary James Mattis the authority to set troop levels in Afghanistan, a U.S official told Reuters on Tuesday, opening the door for future troop increases.
Reuters reported that the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said no immediate decision had been made about the troop levels, which are now set at about 8,400.
The Pentagon declined to comment.
This comes after Mattis said in testimony to the Senate Armed Services Committee on Tuesday that “we are not winning in Afghanistan right now … and we will correct this as soon as possible."
Mattis also said the Taliban were "surging" at the moment, something he said he intended to address, reported Reuters.
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