Article snippet: President Donald Trump announced on Monday night his administration’s plans to continue the engagement of the United States military in Afghanistan, a strategy meant to combat the influence of the Taliban and the ISIS affiliate in the country that will forgo a formal timetable and instead rely upon "conditions on the ground" to guide U.S. activities. "We must acknowledge the reality I'm here to talk about tonight, that nearly 16 years after the September 11 attacks, after the extraordinary sacrifice of blood and treasure, the American people are weary of war without victory," said Trump in an address from Virginia’s Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall. The president's announcement follows meetings with military advisers and his national security team at Camp David on Saturday. In June, he gave Secretary of Defense James Mattis the authority to set troops levels in Afghanistan, after providing the defense chief with similar authority in Iraq and Syria. Though Trump avoided specific reference to an increase in the number of service members in his remarks, Mattis indicated that the U.S. would heightening its involvement. "I have directed the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff to make preparations to carry out the president’s strategy," Mattis said Monday in a statement from Jordan, where he is traveling this week. "I will be in consultation with the Secretary General of NATO and our allies -- several of which have also committed to increasing their troop num... Link to the full article to read more