US President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence will meet with their national security team on Friday at Camp David to discuss US strategy in Afghanistan, a White House spokeswoman said on Wednesday. The administration has been working to develop a new strategy for the long-running conflict in Afghanistan as it decides whether to deploy additional troops to combat recent Taleban advances. The strategy is expected to include how the United States will address the neighbouring country of Pakistan, and whether 3,000 to 5,000 additional troops are needed to combat the Taleban, the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria, and al Qaeda in the region. According to US media, about 8,400 US troops are currently in Afghanistan. Defense Secretary James Mattis on Monday told reporters at the Pentagon that the president is “very close” to making a decision on the strategy. Blackwater Worldwide founder Erik Prince — the brother of Education Secretary Betsy DeVos — and DynCorp owner Stephen Feinberg last month offered proposals to White House officials to use contractors instead of US military forces in Afghanistan.
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