Evaluating Afghanistan As More Troops Expected

NPR's Melissa Block speaks with retired Gen. David Barno about the prospect of additional U.S. troops being sent to Afghanistan as Taliban and ISIS attacks continue.

Additional U.S. troops are likely headed for Afghanistan. A U.S. official confirms to NPR that the Pentagon is expected to send nearly 4,000 more troops to train Afghan security forces. They will join the 8,000 to 10,000 U.S. troops who are currently there. But after 16 years of fighting, the Taliban continues to gain territory and mount brazen attacks. So if the Taliban couldn't be defeated with the 100,000 U.S. troops that used to be in Afghanistan, how will a couple thousand more change the equation?

For some perspective, we turn now to retired Lieutenant General David Barno. He was the overall commander in Afghanistan from 2003 to 2005. He's currently at the School of International Service at American University here in Washington. General Barno, welcome to the program.

BLOCK: Think back, if you would, General Barno, to when you were the U.S. commander in Afghanistan from 2003 to 2005. Would you have imagined at the time that this war would still be going on some 12 years later and that the U.S. would still be involved?

BARNO: No, I wouldn't and certainly not - would not have envisioned that the Taliban would have resurged so strongly and have, you know, so much territory. And things were looking much different, much better than they are today, so it's - it is a bit disconcerting. And most concerning, I think, is that we haven't really found the right path to take us to where we want to get.

And I'm not sure we clearly are articulating to ourselves what's success for us. What's the acceptable outcome here for the United States, and how do we get to that? And is there any way to get to that?

And I'm not sure we clearly are articulating to ourselves what's success for us. What's the acceptable outcome here for the United States, and how do we get to that? And is there any way to get to that? - Read More

Evaluating Afghanistan As More Troops Expected

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