U.S. general sought greater powers in Afghanistan before exit

The U.S. general who until last week commanded the NATO-led coalition in Afghanistan said on Friday he recommended broader scope for U.S. military activity as the country fends off a resilient Taliban insurgency.

Army General John Campbell declined to disclose the specific powers he requested from President Barack Obama's administration before he stepped down as part of a normal leadership transition. But he expressed a sense of urgency, "otherwise it's not going to impact" the war in 2016.

"I'm not going to get more people. So the only way that I can impact is potentially change some of the authorities we have. So authorities deal with: what you can strike, what you can’t strike, at what levels you can do train, advise, assist," Campbell told a group of reporters at the Pentagon.

"So I've asked for some modifications." The incoming commander, General John Nicholson, will also get to weigh in on the matter, Campbell said.

Campbell acknowledged frustrations over the lengthy bureaucratic process behind decision-making in Washington, something other Pentagon chiefs, including Obama's three past defense secretaries, have also noted.

"But I would tell you with President Obama – every time I would get to the president, I got the decision I was really looking for," he said. - Read More at the Reuters

U.S. general sought greater powers in Afghanistan before exit

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