Trump to Make Oval Office Speech on Afghanistan on Monday

Donald Trump will address the nation on his plans for the war in Afghanistan in a prime-time Oval Office speech tomorrow night.

Trump is expected to announce an increase in the number of U.S. troops committed to Afghanistan.

The Hill:

The president has been meeting with advisers on the issue, most recently at Camp David on Friday.

He is expected to add 4,000 troops to the 8,400 now deployed in Afghanistan.

Defense Secretary James Mattisearlier on Sunday told reporters on a flight to Jordan that Trump had made a decision on Afghanistan. He did not offer any details, saying that would come from the president.

“I am very comfortable that the strategic process was sufficiently rigorous and did not go in with a pre-set position,” Mattis said.

The White House statement also suggested that Trump will be discussing North Korea.

Tensions between the U.S. and North Korea have been on rise amid a series of missile tests by Pyongyang, and news reports that it has the ability to place a nuclear warhead on an intercontinental missile.

Trump surprised U.S. allies and adversaries alike this month when he warned North Korea it would face “fire and fury” if it continued to threaten to the United States.

North Korea warned the U.S. on Sunday it faces a “merciless strike” due to “reckless behavior driving the situation into the uncontrollable phase of a nuclear war.”

Pyongyang’s warning comes one day before the U.S. and South Korea conduct routine military exercises, which the North deems a threat.

With the Taliban making steady gains in Afghanistan, and ISIS becoming stronger, it’s hard to see how 4,000 extra troops will make a difference. But it’s possible that the U.S. will look to check the Taliban and ISIS rather than beat them back, hoping to jump-start negotiations for peace.

As for North Korea, Kim threatens Armageddon before every joint military exercise with the South. It’s just more hot air from the biggest contributor to global warming in Asia.

Of course, there’s absolutely nothing else going on in the country that the president might want to comment on. I guess he figures people tearing each other apart over race isn’t worth his attention.