Trump will find there is no quick fix to end war in Afghanistan

In a rare prime time national address outlining his Afghanistan strategy on Monday night, US President Donald Trump ruled out a quick withdrawal of US troops, saying that a rapid exit of the US troops would have unacceptable consequences and "create a vacuum" that the Islamic State and al-Qaida would fill.

Instead, Trump is expected to beef up the United States' military presence in the country. Although Trump stopped short of mentioning a number, he authorized US Defense Secretary James Mattis in June to deploy as many as 3,900 extra troops.

Currently, the US has about 8,400 troops in Afghanistan, part of a roughly-13,500-strong international force that is training and assisting Afghan forces to fight the Taliban, and conducting counter-terrorism missions. But, even with the proposed increase in US troops, the Taliban is unlikely to be contained, let alone rooted out.