Afghan president 'grateful' for Trump's commitment to fighting Taliban

Afghan leader Ashraf Ghani on Tuesday welcomed U.S. President Donald Trump's new strategy for the war in Afghanistan, which would remove timelines for withdrawal of remaining foreign troops.

"I am grateful to President Trump and the American people for this affirmation of support ... for our joint struggle to rid the region from the threat of terrorism," Ghani said in a statement.

Ghani said the new strategy would increase the capacity of the training mission for Afghan national security forces, including enhancing its fledgling air force and doubling the size of the Afghan special forces.