Trump Reverses on Afghanistan, Telling Nation U.S. Troops Must Continue Fight

WASHINGTON -- Declaring the U.S. will win "in the end," President Donald Trump vowed Monday night to keep American troops fighting in Afghanistan despite his earlier inclination to withdraw. But he insisted the U.S. would not offer "a blank check" after 16 years of war, and he pointedly declined to say whether or when more troops might be sent.In a prime-time address billed as the unveiling of his new Afghanistan strategy, Trump said the U.S. would shift away from a "time-based" approach, instead linking its assistance to results and to cooperation from the beleaguered Afghan government, Pakistan and others.Still, he offered few details about how that approach would differ substantively from what the U.S. has already tried unsuccessfully under the past two presidents."We will not talk about numbers of troops or our plans for further military activities," Trump said. "Conditions on the ground, not arbitrary timetables, will guide our strategy from now on."Texas Republicans welcomed Trump's plan. Sen. John Cornyn said it provided a way forward, House Homeland Security Chairman Michael McCaul of Austin said Trump issued, a clear, multifaceted strategy going forward. Fort Worth Rep. Kay Granger, who chairs the subcommittee that controls the Pentagon budget, also lauded Trump's approach.  Continue reading...