US military poised to ramp up war in Afghanistan, officials say

The United States military is set to propose a ramping up of the war in Afghanistan in a renewed effort to break a stalemate with the Taliban.

The new plans, drawn up by the Department of Defense, are due to be sent to US President Donald Trump for approval this week, but are expected to pass without any major resistance.

Trump has said he wants to "start winning" in Afghanistan again and military officials have drawn up the intended plans with the president's preferences in mind.

A number of military officials have spoken to the Washington Post and Reuters about the proposals, which come as the Taliban have steadily increased their troop numbers and their influence in Afghanistan.

One proposal is expected to be to grow the number of US soldiers in the country, currently at 8,400, by as many as 5,000 new fighters.

The plans will also reportedly lift the Obama-era restrictions allowing military advisers greater mobility on the battlefield as well as giving the military broader authority to carry out airstrikes.

A final decision is expected to be made before May 25, when Trump will attend a Nato summit in Brussels.

However, it is not clear how much political support the proposals would receive given that the war in Afghanistan has become the US' longest ongoing battle at over 15 years.

To date, more than 2,300 American soldiers have been killed and 17,000 wounded, according to Reuters.

The war has also cost more than $23bn (£17.8bn) per year with the overall cost forecast at over $1tn.

Douglas Wissing, in a piece for Politico Magazine, argues that the Afghanistan war is unwinnable and that Trump needs to withdraw all troops, right away.

"As the Pentagon requests more troops and drops more and bigger bombs, it's important to assess the dangers of another surge," he said.

"And to consider whether another US escalation can turn around an unwinnable war. Will Surge 2.0 be consequential, relevant, sustainable? Or will it be another futile chapter in an unwinnable war?

He added: "While no one in Washington power circles is yet willing to officially say it, there is nothing the US can do now to change the inevitable course of events.

"All that can happen is good money is thrown after bad; more lives destroyed after so many have been ravaged.

"It is time to accept the obvious: The war in Afghanistan is unwinnable.

"It is time for the US to withdraw its troops, and let the Afghans sort out their own problems."