{"page":"\u003clink rel=\"stylesheet\" href=\"https://lessonplanet.com/assets/packs/css/resources-572d6a42.css\" /\u003e\n\u003clink rel=\"stylesheet\" href=\"https://lessonplanet.com/assets/packs/css/lp_boclips_stylesheets-f4d0de30.css\" media=\"all\" /\u003e\n\u003cdiv data-title='US Afghan Commander: More Troops Need' data-url='/boclips/videos/5c54d310d8eafeecae1e6b8e' data-video-url='/boclips/videos/5c54d310d8eafeecae1e6b8e' id='bo_player_modal'\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='boclips-resource-page modal-dialog panel-container'\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='react-notifications-root'\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='rp-header'\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='rp-type'\u003e\n\u003ci aria-hidden='true' class='fai fa-regular fa-circle-play'\u003e\u003c/i\u003e\nVideo\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003ch1 class='rp-title' id='video-title'\u003e\nUS Afghan Commander: More Troops Need\n\u003c/h1\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='rp-actions'\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='mr-1'\u003e\n\u003ca class=\"btn btn-success\" data-posthog-event=\"Signup: LP Signup Activity\" data-posthog-location=\"body_link_boclips\" data-remote=\"true\" href=\"/subscription/new\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cspan\u003eGet Free Access\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"\"\u003e for 10 Days\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e!\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='rp-body'\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='rp-info'\u003e\n\u003cdiv aria-label='Hide resource details' class='rp-hide-info' role='button' tabindex='0'\u003e\u0026times;\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003ci aria-label='Expand resource details' class='rp-expand-info fai fa-solid fa-up-right-and-down-left-from-center' role='button' tabindex='0'\u003e\u003c/i\u003e\n\u003ci aria-label='Compress resource details' class='rp-compress-info fai fa-solid fa-down-left-and-up-right-to-center' role='button' tabindex='0'\u003e\u003c/i\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='rp-rating'\u003e\n\u003cspan class='resource-pool'\u003e\n\u003cspan class='pool-label'\u003ePublisher:\u003c/span\u003e\n\u003cspan class='pool-name'\u003e\n\u003cspan class='text'\u003e\u003ca data-publisher-id=\"30356011\" href=\"/search?publisher_ids%5B%5D=30356011\"\u003eCurated Video\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\n\u003c/span\u003e\n\u003c/span\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='rp-description'\u003e\n\u003cspan class='short-description'\u003eA few thousand more troops are needed to help end the stalemate in Afghanistan, according to a senior U.S. military commander who also told lawmakers Thursday that Russian meddling is complicating the counterterrorism fight.Army General...\u003c/span\u003e\n\u003cspan class='full-description hide'\u003eA few thousand more troops are needed to help end the stalemate in Afghanistan, according to a senior U.S. military commander who also told lawmakers Thursday that Russian meddling is complicating the counterterrorism fight.Army General John Nicholson, commander of U.S. forces in Afghanistan, didn't provide the Senate Armed Services Committee with an exact number of additional forces.But he said they could come from the United States or other countries in the American-led coalition in Afghanistan, where the war is now in its 16th year.He said they are necessary to properly train and advise the Afghan military and perform work now handled at greater cost by contractors. There are currently about 8,400 U.S. troops conducting counterterrorism operations against insurgents and training the Afghan army.Nicholson said he had discussed troop levels with U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis and Gen. Joseph Dunford, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Nicholson said he believes the Trump administration will be open to a level based on requirements, rather than a predetermined figure. Nicholson contended that Russia has been publicly legitimizing the Taliban by claiming that the militants are fighting Islamic terrorists while the Afghan government is not. He called that a \"false narrative\" and argued that Moscow's goal is to undermine the United States and NATO in Afghanistan.Afghan security forces have reduced by one-half the number of IS fighters and by two-thirds the amount of territory the extremists hold, according to the commander.Despite Moscow's overtures, Nicholson said many Afghans don't view Russia favorably, dating to the Soviet invasion and occupation of Afghanistan from 1979 to 1989.US POOLWashington, D.C. - 9 February 20171. Close-up Army General John Nicholson shaking hands with Senators2. Pan view of hearing3. SOUNDBITE (English) Senator John McCain, (R) Arizona:\"In your overall commander's assessment, are we winning or losing?\"4. SOUNDBITE (English) Army General John Nicholson, Commander of U.S. forces in Afghanistan: \"Mr. Chairman, I believe we are in a stalemate.\"  5. SOUNDBITE (English) Senator John McCain, (R) Arizona:\"Thank you.  And of course our Afghan partners have been sustaining very significant losses and I am not sure that is sustainable ... the level of losses that the ANA is experiencing?\"6. SOUNDBITE (English) Army General John Nicholson, Commander of U.S. forces in Afghanistan: \"Mr. Chairman we are very concerned about the level of losses.  The recurrent recruitment replaces the level of losses that they are experiencing, however it does not allow them to get to their full authorized strength, which they are below.\"7.  SOUNDBITE (English) Senator John McCain, (R) Arizona:\"As you know and the committee knows, 8,400 US troops and 5,000 coalition troops - that's 13,300 - and I am fully aware general, I know numbers are just one parameter.  It is what they do, how they do, how they are equipped and all that, but it is an important parameter.  How many more do you need to get this stalemate reversed?\"8. SOUNDBITE (English) Army General John Nicholson, Commander of U.S. forces in Afghanistan: \"Mr. Chairman, I have adequate resourcing in my counterterrorism mission.  I my train, advise and assist mission however we have a shortfall of a few thousand and this is in the NATO train, advise, assist mission. So this can come from the US and its allies.\"9. SOUNDBITE (English) Senator John McCain, (R) Arizona:\"It is of concern, shouldn't it be to all of us that you now have Russia, Iran and Al Qaida now playing significant roles. Some more than the other, but that wasn't the case a couple of years ago, was it?\"10. SOUNDBITE (English) Army General John Nicholson, Commander of U.S. forces in Afghanistan: \"Mr. Chairman, I agree there have been an increase in external actors interfering in the Afghan attainment of peace and stability.\"11. SOUNDBITE (English) Senator John McCain, (R) Arizona:\"And the Russian involvement?\"10. SOUNDBITE (English) Army General John Nicholson, Commander of U.S. forces in Afghanistan: ++STARTS ON PREVIOUS SHOT++\"The Russian involvement this year has become more difficult.  First, they have begun to publicly legitimize the Taliban.  This narrative that they promote is that the Taliban are fighting Islamic State and the Afghan government is not fighting Islamic State and therefore there could be a spillover of this group into the region.  This is a false narrative.  The Afghan government along with the U.S. counterterrorism forces are successfully fighting against the Islamic State in Afghanistan and this year alone, we have reduced their fighters by half, their territory by two-thirds.  We've killed their leader, in fact their top 12 leaders and continue to disrupt their operations.\"11. 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