WASHINGTON, June 14 (Xinhua) -- U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said on Wednesday that he will present to the White House a new Afghanistan strategy within weeks, including setting new troop levels.
"Together in the interagency, we will define the way ahead and I will set the U.S. military commitment, consistent with the commander in chief strategic direction and the foreign policy as dictated by secretary of State Tillerson," said Mattis here at a congressional hearing.
Mattis also confirmed that U.S. President Donald Trump had delegated to him the authority to manage troop numbers in Afghanistan.
"The delegation of this authority, consistent with the authority President Trump granted me two months ago for Iraq and Syria does not, at this time, change the troop numbers for Afghanistan," he said.
When asked whether he expected to increase U.S. troop levels in Afghanistan to anywhere near U.S. 2011 peak of about 100,000 troops, Mattis dismisses the chances.
Trump was reportedly considering whether or not to send additional U.S. troops to Afghanistan.
Former U.S. President Barack Obama had planned to reduce the current number of 9,800 U.S. troops in Afghanistan to some 5,500 by the end of 2015 and withdraw all troops by the end of 2016 when his presidency came to an end.
However, given the deteriorating security situation in Afghanistan, the Obama administration repeatedly postponed the withdrawal.
Currently, there are about 8,400 U.S. troops and another 5,000 forces of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) on the ground in Afghanistan to train and assist the Afghan forces against the Taliban, and conduct counter-terrorism missions.
The prospect of new U.S. troop levels in Afghanistan came at a time when senior U.S. officials warned of dire security situation in Afghanistan.
In another congressional hearing on Tuesday, Mattis said that United States is still "not winning" the longest U.S. war in Afghanistan.
U.S. National Intelligence Director Dan Coats also warned last month that the security situation in Afghanistan would most likely deteriorate in the future even if the United States and its allies offer more military aid.
