Trump to announce 'Path Forward' for US in afghanistan

Trump's address, schedule 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.

President Donald Trump will out line United States' "Path Forward", in Afghanistan in a speech Monday night, the White House announced August 20, 2017 - Sunday.

Last August 20, 2017 - 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 weekend to collect his thoughts on how he's going to explain it to the American people."

Trump tweeted last August 19, 2017 - Saturday that an Afghanistan strategy was one the issues decided upon at a meeting with top administration official at Camp David on Friday.

Important day spent at Camp David with our very talented Generals and military leaders. Many decisions made, including on Afghanistan.

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 19, 2017

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

During the strategy review, outside voices tried to present their own vision 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 the private sector.


The shift in US strategy work mark the latest of many chapters in the long-running operations in Afghanistan.

Trump delegated authority to Mattis over troop levels in Afganistan, and on Sunday, Mattis declined to say how troop levels would chance until the President hand the chance to make the new strategy public.