Afghanistan is waiting Mr Trump

Nobody has a clue what's going on in Trump's mind over Afghanistan. Jim Mattis, the US Defence Secretary, said a long time ago that a new strategy on Afghanistan was nearly ready and that it would cover not just Afghanistan but also all the neighbouring countries, such as Pakistan and India. Since then, nothing. All that talk of sending up to 4,000 more US troops is, at present, all talk and no action. Meanwhile, the Taliban is on a killing spree. There is still no official appointed at the Pentagon to mastermind Afghanistan policy. Discussions in the White House on the way forward end in arguments and disagreement. Trump basically needs to make a decision. Is he prepared to send a mini-surge of troops to Afghanistan, and if he is, what does he want them to do? Trump is so obsessed with attacking his Attorney General, shouting at those investigating the Russia collusion issue, and destroying Obamacare that foreign policy is being pushed to the backburner. We're told North Korea is now a year away from developing an intercontinental ballistic missile capable of carrying a nuclear warhead that can reach part of the US. But if there is a plan A, B and C, Trump has only got as far as bellowing a warning about military action but no one, least of all Kim Jong-un, seems to believe him. Six months have gone by and the word, Afghanistan, has hardly passed his lips. By the time he makes up his mind, the snows will be returning to Afghanistan and the fighting season will be over. Of course it's right for major policy decisions to come together after proper thought and discussion. But the US had a president before who took too long to make up his mind. No one thought that Trump, with his bold promises during the election campaign, would follow the example of Barack Obama. It's time for action, Mr President. Afghanistan is waiting.