In an interview with the Army Times, US Commander in Afghanistan Gen. John Campbell suggested that the Afghan War, now 13+ years in, could be further extended in the next few months.
There are currently around 10,600 US troops in Afghanistan, more than was originally intended for 2015, but Campbell says that in the next few months he says he may have to ask to forestall planned drawdowns.
Campbell cited a number of “challenges” in Afghanistan as potentially lengthening the conflict, including the Taliban’s extended fighting season and the recent reports of ISIS establishing a presence there.
Though Campbell claimed ISIS would be a “hard message to sell” in Afghanistan, there was still concern that Taliban defectors could surge into the group and give it momentum.
