Mediaboss Marketing

Still, he spoke more optimistically about the opportunity for some type of settlement.

McKenzie, who first served in Afghanistan as a colonel in 2004 and returned as a one-star general in 2009, said there was no path to peace during those years.

Now, he said, a political agreement is possible if the Taliban is willing to bring reasonable proposals to the table.

Im not going to tell you that were turning the corner, but Im not willing to say that its going to be status quo forever either, he said. This is new, its different and it offers a path if the parties would be responsive and wise enough to grasp it.

Asked about the Trump administration's stated desire to cut America's troop presence in Afghanistan to about 8,600, McKenzie would only say that, so far, he hasn't received an order to bring troops home.

He declined to say if withdrawal might be contingent on Taliban peace talk concessions.

He added, however, that he believes the Afghan security forces are improving. A key U.S. goal is to increase the capabilities of the Afghan forces so that they are able to secure their own country if coalition troops leave. But that effort has stumbled in fits and starts over the past decade, hampered by government corruption, lack of proper systems and resources and troop attrition fueled by the persistent violence.

Standing in what officials are calling the Combined Situational Awareness Room, where coalition and Afghan forces coordinate combat missions, McKenzie said previous efforts for better communication failed.

I was here in 2009 when we first tried to do the experiment, it didn't work, he told commanders and staff. Behind them, a wall of large screens showed planned military operations, real-time video surveillance of small groups and traffic at various locations, and a scrolling social media feed. One screen provide information to help identify friendly forces

Go here to see the original:
Top Commander Sees Increased Iran Threat in Afghanistan - The New York Times