Washington: The US troops staying in Afghanistan after the end of this year have been decreed new set of rules.
Defence officials announced the rules for the 9,800 US troops which will let commanders order airstrikes or night raids on Taliban forces who pose a significant threat to the Afghan government.
The order was recently signed by President Barack Obama clarifying the authorities US military commanders will have after the official end of the combat mission in December.
The new rules appear to signal an incremental expansion of the US mission in Afghanistan next year.
Six months ago, Obama announced plans to leave 9,800 U.S. troops in Afghanistan for 2015 and limit their primary missions to two — training and advising the Afghan military and using a small cadre of special operations troops to target al-Qaida “remnants.”
Pentagon spokesman Rear Adm. John Kirby said the US troops would continue targeting some, though not all, Taliban militants, and may also provide field-level support for Afghan security forces.
“We won’t target Taliban just merely for the sake of the fact they’re Taliban and quote-unquote ‘belligerents,’ ” Kirby said on Tuesday.
However, he added: “Should members of the Taliban decide to threaten American troops or specifically target or threaten our Afghan partners in a tactical situation, we’re going to reserve the right to take action as needed. If they pose a threat directly to our troops or to the Afghan security forces, certainly then they become fair game at that point.”
The US forces also may provide “enabling support” for the Afghan military, which may include airstrikes, medical evacuations or logistical aid.
“Clearly we know there is going to be some need for some enabling support,” Kirby said.
The decision to target some Taliban forces reflects two significant developments over the past several months — the resurgence of Islamic militants in Iraq and the new, pro-American government in Afghanistan.
President Ashraf Ghani was elected in September and promptly signed a deal with the US to keep American troops in Afghanistan beyond December.
Ghani also recently lifted the ban on night raids by special operations troops, imposed by former President Hamid Karzai in 2013.
Â