Afghanistan commander, not Trump, approved massive bomb strike, reports say

[EC]

Generals in Afghanistan, not President Trump or the Pentagon, made the call to drop the largest non-nuclear bomb ever used in combat Thursday, according to reports.

In a briefing with reporters in Kabul on Friday, Gen. John "Mick" Nicholson, commander of U.S. Forces Afghanistan, told reporters the "chain of command allowed me the latitude to make assessments on the ground" to use the GBU-43/B, the Massive Ordnance Air blast, commonly referred to as "the mother of all bombs," according to the Washington Post.

Trump on Thursday declined to answer a direct question from a reporter as to whether he ordered the strike.

More: http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/afghanistan-commander-not-trump-approved-massive-bomb-strike-reports-say/article/2620294

[TomSea]

From the video, it looks like a little town is nearby. No civilians killed per reports.

[EC]

Means plenty of witnesses - and tales grow in the retelling.

[don-o]

I'll take "Winks, nods and knowing glances" for a thousand, Alex.

[skeeter]

So the US military now takes orders from Afghan commanders?

[TomSea]

So the US military now takes orders from Afghan commanders?

I read it the same way but I think what it actually says is "Gen. John "Mick" Nicholson, commander of U.S. Forces Afghanistan."

[Maj. Bill Martin]

I like the fact that this was left to the military as much as I like the strike itself.

[skeeter]

I read it the same way but I think what it actually says is "Gen. John "Mick" Nicholson, commander of U.S. Forces Afghanistan."

That's what I get for trying to read news on my phone.

Why even write this article? Trump already has said as much - he left the decision to those in command in the theater.

[Bigun]

I like the fact that this was left to the military as much as I like the strike itself.

As do I!  That's EXACTLY how it's supposed to work!