![President Trump and Vice-President Pence at Camp David. / [Image by The White House via Flickr, Public Domain]](https://staticr1.blastingcdn.com/media/photogallery/2017/8/21/660x290/b_502x220x82/president-trump-and-vice-president-pence-at-camp-david-image-by-the-white-house-via-flickr-public-domain_1526821.jpg "President Trump and Vice-President Pence at Camp David. / [Image by The White House via Flickr, Public Domain]")
On Monday, President Trump addressed the nation in his first formal speech since Tuesday, August 15, about the war in Afghanistan -- and since Steve Bannon was removed from the White House. There is reason to believe that Bannon had some influence on the administration's decisions over afghanistan or even in the President's speech but since he was fired last Friday, it's unlikely that his influence would survive to become policy decisions.
In a New York Times article titled: "Angry Trump Grilled His Generals About Troop Increase, Then Gave In," it details the argument he tried to make with those generals about why they were still in Afghanistan.
It's largely seen that President Trump did not want more troops sent there but then, there's no indication that Trump knew one way or another what he wanted to do, and reportedly accepted their suggestion to send more troops.
Erik Prince rejected
It was reported that Trump met with generals and the National Security Council last Friday at Camp David to discuss their new direction in Afghanistan. Steve Bannon's influence on some of those decisions included the involvement of security firm owner Erik Prince. Prince was the former owner of Blackwater, which was contracted by the U.S. government under the Bush administration during their occupation of Iraq.
Its also been reported that Prince was trying to get the administration to contract his new firm and thousands of mercenaries to be sent to Afghanistan -- which Bannon supported over another surge of U.S.
troops. The Pentagon -- as well as Trump -- had already rejected the idea but Prince was already set to be part of the meeting last Friday. However, with the removal of Bannon, the new Chief of Staff (Gen. John Kelly) and national security adviser (Lt. Gen. H.R. McMaster) moved to block Prince's appearance at Camp David.
Trump's disconnect with Afghanistan
Its been reported that President Trump argued with generals about the war in Afghanistan during the first week of August, wondering why there were still U.S. troops there and why they weren't "winning" against the Taliban. At the time, it was also reported that the President was considering firing a commander in Afghanistan and replacing them with H.R.
McMaster. But this was while Bannon had a hostile anti-McMaster presence in the West Wing.
Trump's plan in Afghanistan is to send an additional 4,000 troops and to also be harder with the Afghanistan government in terms of finally defeating the insurgent group. Between the Afghanistan and Pakistan border are safe havens where the Taliban fled after they lost control of Afghanistan when they were pushed out by U.S. troops in 2001. Since then, the insurgency has continued to use guerrilla tactics to stage random attacks on troops over the years. The Islamic State has reportedly moved into the region and taken advantage of the lapse of control, killing Taliban members and spreading their influence. As adjustments continue in the area, its also been reported that both the Taliban and ISIS are joining forces.
