Afghan Leaders Applaud Trump's Regional Strategy

Afghan President Ashraf Ghani thanked U.S. President Donald Trump for not setting a timeline in his new strategic plan for Afghanistan. Speaking in Kandahar on August 22, just hours after Trump presented the outline of the strategy in a televised speech, Abdullah said: "America will stand with the Afghan people, to the end." Trump promised a stepped-up military campaign against Taliban insurgents, but he stopped short of talking about troop levels in Afghanistan. He also said he would not tolerate Pakistan giving "safe havens" to extremist groups such as the Afghan Taliban. Afghanistan's Chief Executive Officer Abdullah Abdullah welcomed Trump's policy and asked for cooperation from neighbors in the region. (RFE/RL's Radio Free Afghanistan)