WASHINGTON: The Pentagon has named Lieutenant General John “Mick” Nicholson as the new commander of international forces in Afghanistan, amid concerns about setbacks in the fight against Taliban in the war-torn nation.
Gen Nicholson who is currently the US Army commander of NATO land forces, would replace Gen John Campbell, who has been leading the Afghan operations for nearly 18 months.
Defence Secretary Ashton Carter said in a statement yesterday, “I am confident that Gen Nicholson will build upon Gen Campbell’s hard work to secure a bright future for the Afghan people, and help the government of Afghanistan strengthen a professional and capable security partner to the American people.”
“He knows what it means to lead a responsive and nimble force, and how to build the capacity of our partners to respond to immediate and long term threats and remain adaptable to confront evolving challenges,” Carter said.
