Trump Contradicts Himself, Promises Afghan War Escalation

FEATURING EMRAN FEROZ – Donald Trump finally unveiled his long-anticipated plan for the Afghanistan war on Monday evening. After considering a variety of plans from troop withdrawal to privatizing the war, Trump settled on what military generals have been pushing for and what he himself railed against for years: an escalation of the longest war in US history.

Trump refused to give specifics on how many more US troops would be sent to Afghanistan, but the US commander in Afghanistan, General John Nicholson requested “a few thousand more.” Trump pledges to, “expand authority for American armed forces to target the terrorists and criminal networks,” adding, “these killers need to know they have nowhere to hide,” and that, “retribution will be fast and powerful.”

Trump also promised to play regional politics in South Asia as he criticized Pakistan for giving, “safe haven to agents of chaos, violence and terror,” and promised the US would, “develop its strategic partnership with India.”

Find more at Erman’s website www.dronememorial.com and follow him on twitter @Emran_Feroz.

Emran Feroz, independent journalist and the founder of Drone Memorial, a virtual memorial for civilian drone strike victims. His work has appeared in The New York Times, Al Jazeera, The Atlantic, The Hindu, The Intercept, Alternet and several other media outlets. He is also a regular contributor to German-language newspapers and magazines. His upcoming book on drone warfare will be released in Germany in the fall.