TRUMP EYES DEAL 'OR TOTAL VICTORY'
There are currently about 13,000 U.S. forces as well as thousands of other NATO troops in Afghanistan, 18 years after an invasion by a U.S.-led coalition following the Sept. 11, 2001, al Qaeda attacks on the United States.
About 2,400 U.S. service members have been killed in the course of the Afghan conflict.
A draft accord agreed in September would have thousands of American troops withdrawn in exchange for guarantees that Afghanistan would not be used as a base for militant attacks on the United States or its allies.
Still, many U.S. officials doubt the Taliban could be relied upon to prevent al Qaeda from again plotting attacks against the United States from Afghan soil.
The U.S. military has said it can go down to 8,600 troops and still carry out an essential counter-terrorism mission in a country where both al Qaeda and Islamic State fighters would continue to pose a threat even after any Taliban peace deal.
Trump acknowledged U.S. troop levels were "substantially" coming down but did not provide a specific number.
At the same time, however, Trump suggested he was willing to have U.S. forces stay in Afghanistan for the long-term, if needed.
"We're going to stay until such time as we have a deal or we have total victory. And they want to make a deal very badly," Trump said.
