The taliban and terrorist groups gain ground. Wounded over 20,000 more. Lets bring in nbc peter alexander. What do we expect to hear from the president . President trump has long suggested that Afghanistan War was obamas war. He takes ownership. Tell us the number is likely to be as many as 4,000. Among the items we will be watching tonight how does this president define success or winning. The u. S. Is losing right now. What is the definition of the Mission Going forward for the president , president obama, was largely counterterrorism. What are his priorities. All right. Thank you. And hail to the chief now playing. This is a president who tends to like to speak before friendly crowds and he will do here. Here is the president. Thank you, very much. Please be seated. Vice president pence, secretary of state tillerson, members of the cabinet, general dunford, deputy secretary shanna han and kernel dugan. Most especially thank you to the men and women of fort myer and every member of the United States military at home and abroad. We send our thoughts and prayers to the families of the conditi conditi conducting the search. Before i provide the details of our new strategy, i want to say a few words to the Service Members here with us tonight, from those watching at their post and to all americans listening at home. Since the founding of our republic, our country has produced a special class of heroes whose selflessness, courage and resolve is unmatched in human history. American patriots from every generation have given their last breath on the battlefield for our nation and for our freedom. Through their lives, and though their lives were cut short. In their deeds they achieved total immortality by following the heroic example of those who fought to preserve our republic, we can find the inspiration our country needs to unify, to heal, and to remain one nation under god. The men and women of our military operate as one team with one shared mission and one shared sense of purpose. They transcend every line of race, ethnicity, creed and color to serve together and sacrifice together in absolutely perfect cohesion. That is because all Service Members are brothers and sisters. They are all part of the same family, its called the american family. They take the same oath, fight for the same flag and live according to the same law. They are bound together by common purpose, mutual trust and selfless devotion to our nation and to each other. The soldier understands what we as a nation too often forget, that a wound inflicted upon a Single Member of our community is a wound inflicted upon us all. When one part of america hurts, we all hurt. And when one citizen suffers an injustice, we all suffer together. Loyalty to our nation demands loyalty to one another. Love for america requires love for all of its people. When we open our hearts to patriotism, there is no room for prejudice, no place for bigotry, and no tolerance for hate. The young men and women we send to fight our wars abroad deserve to come it a country that is not at war with itself at home. We cannot remain a force for peace in the world, when we are not at peace with each other. As we send our bravest to defeat our enemies over seas and we will always win. Let us find the courage to heal our divisions within. That when they return home from battle, they will find a country that has renewed the sacred bonds of love and loyalty that unite together as one. Thanks to the vigilance and skill of the American Military and of our many allies throughout the world, horrors on the scale of september 11th, nobody can ever forget that, have not been repeated on our shores. But we must acknowledge the reality i am hear to talk about tonight. That nearly 16 years after september 11th attacks, and after the extraordinary sacrifice of blood and treasure, the American People are weary of war without victory. No where is this more evident than with the war in afghanistan. The longest war in american history, seven years. I share the American Peoples frustrations. I also share their frustrations over a Foreign Policy that has spent too much time, energy, money, and most importantly lives trying to rebuild countries in our own imagine stead of pursuing our security interest above all other considerations. That is why shortly after my inauguration, i directed secretary of defense mattis and my National Security team to under take a comprehensive review of all Strategic Options in afghanistan and south asia. My original instinct was to pull out and historically i reich following my instincts. But all my life i heard that decisions are much different when you sit behind the desk in the oval office. In other words, when you are president of the United States. So i studied afghanistan in great detail and from every conceivable angle. After many meetings over many months we held our final meeting last friday at camp david with my cabinet and generals to complete our strategy. I arrived at three fundamental conclusion about america core interest in afghanistan. First, our nation must seek an honorable and enduring outcome worthy of the tremendous sack descripti sacrifices. The men and women in combat deserve a plan for victory, the tools they need and the trust they have earned to fight and to win. Second, the consequences of a rapid exit are both predictable and unacceptable. Nine 11, the worst terrorist attack in our history was planned and directed from afghanistan because that country was ruled by a government that gave comfort and shelter to terrorists. A hasty withdrawal would create a vacuum that terrorists including isis and al qaeda would instantly fill just as what happened in september 11th. And as we know, in 200011, america hastenly withdraw from iraq. Slipped back into the hands of terrorist enemies. Our soldiers watched. The vacuum we created by leaving too soon gave safe haven for isis to grow, recruit and launch attacks. We cannot repeat an afghanistan the mistakes our leaders made in iraq. Third, and finally, i concluded that the security threats we face in afghanistan and the broader region are immense. Today, 20 u. S. Designated foreign terrorist organizations are active in afghanistan and pakistan. The highest concentration in any region anywhere in the world. For its part, pakistan often gives safe haven to agents of chaos, violence and terror. The threat is worse because pakistan and india are two Nuclear Armed states whose tense relations threaten to spiral into conflict and that could happen. No one denies that we have inherited a challenging and troubling situation in afghanistan. And south asia, but we do not have the luxury of going back in time and making different or better decisions. When i became president , i was given a bad and very complex hand, but i fully knew what i was getting into. Big and intricate problems. But one way or another, these problems may be solved. I am a problem solver. And in the end, we will win. We must address the reality of the world as it exists right now. The threats we face, and the confronting of all of the problems of today. And extremely predictable consequences of a hasty withdrawal. We need look no further than last weeks vile, vicious attack in barcelona to understand that terror groups will stop at nothing to commit the mass murder of innocent men, women, and children. You saw it for yourself. Horrible. As i outlined in my speech in saudi arabia, three months ago, america and our partners are committed of stripping terrorists of their territory, cutting off their funding and exposing the false allure of their evil ideology. Terrorist who slaughter innocent people will find no glory in this life or the next. They are nothing but thugs, criminals and predators and thats right, losers. We will break their will, dry up their recruitment, keep them from crossing our borders and yes, we will defeat them. And we will defeat them handlely. In afghanistan and pakistan, americas interest is clear, we must stop the resurgence of safe havens. And we must prevent Nuclear Weapons and materials from coming into the hands of terrorists and being used against us or anywhere in the world for that matter. But to prosecute this war, we will learn from history. As a result of our comprehensive review, americas strategy in afghanistan and south asia will change dramatically in the following ways. A core pillar in our new strategy is a shift from a time based approach to one based on conditions. I have said it many times how counter productive it is for the United States to announce in advance the dates we begin or end military options. We will not talk about numbers of troops or our plans for further military activities. Conditions on the ground not arbitrary timetables will guide our strategy from now on. Americas enemies must never know our plans or believe they can wait us out. I will not say when we are going attack. But attack we will. Another fundamental pillar of of new strategy is the integration of all instruments of america. Someday after an effective military effort, perhaps it will be possible to have a but nobody knows if or when that will ever happen. America will continue its support for the Afghan Government. And the Afghan Military as they confront the taliban in the field. Ultimately, it is up to the people of afghanistan to take ownership of their future. To govern their society and to achiev achieve an ever lasting peace. We will not dictate to the Afghan People how to live or how to govern their complex society. We are not nation building again. We are killing terrorist. The next pillar of our new strategy is to change the approach and how to deal with pakistan. We can no longer be silent about pakistan safe haven for terror organization, the taliban and other groups that pose a threat to the region and beyond. Pakistan has much to gain from partnering with our effort in afghanistan. It has much to lose by continuing to harbor criminals and terrorists. In the past, pakistan has been a valued partner. Our militaries have worked together against common enemies. The pakistani people have suffered greatly from terrorism and extremism. We recognize those contribution and those sacrifices. But pakistan has sheltered the same organizations that try every single day to kill our people. We have been paying pakistan billions and billions of dollars at the same time they are housing the very terrorist that we are fighting. But that will have to change. And that will change immediately. No partnership can survive a countrys harboring of militants and terrorists. It is time for pakistan to demonstrate its commitment to civilization, order and peace. For america to further develop its Strategic Partnership with india. Economic partner of the United States. We appreciate indias important contribution to stability in afghanistan. India makes billions of dollars in trade with the United States. And we want them to help us more with afghanistan especially in the area of economic assistance and development. We are committed to pursuing our shared objectives for peace and security in south asia and the broader indopacific region. Finally my administration will ensure that you, the brave defenders of the American People will have the necessary tools and rules of engagement to make this strategy work. I have lifted restrictions the Previous Administration placed on our war fighters that prevented the secretary of defense and commanders in the field from fully and swiftly waging battle against the enemy. Mic micro management from washington, d. C. Does not win battles. The expertise of wartime commanders and front line soldiers acting in real time and Real Authority and with a Clear Mission to defeat the enemy. Thats why we will also expand authority for American Armed forces to target the terrorist and criminal networks that instill violence and chaos. These killers need to know that they have no where to hide and no place is beyond the reach of american mite and american arms. Retribution will be fast and powerful. We are already seeing dramatic results in the campaign to defeat isis including the liberation of mosul in iraq. Since my inauguration we have achieved record breaking success in that regard. We will also maximize sanctions and other financial and Law Enforcement actions against these networks to eliminate their ability to export terror. When america commits its warriors to battle, we must ensure they have every weapon to apply swift, decisive and overwhelming force. Our troops will fight to win. We will fight to win. From now on, victory will have a clear definition. Attacking our enemies. Obliterating isis, crushing al qaeda. And preventing the taliban. And we will ask our nato allies and Global Partners to support our new strategy with additional troops and funding in line with our own. I have made clear that our allies and partners must contribute much more money to our collective defense. And they have done so. In this struggle, the heaviest burden will continue to be born by the good people of afghanistan and courageous armed forces, as the Prime Minister of afghanistan has promised, we are going to participate in Economic Development to help defray the cost of this war to us. Afghanistan is fighting to defend and secure their country against the same enemies who threaten us. The stronger the Afghan Security forces become, the less we will have to do. Afghans will secure and build their own nation and define their own future. We want them to succeed. But we will no longer use American Military mite to construct democracies in far away lands or try to rebuild countries in our own image. Those days are now over. Instead we will work with allays and partners to protect our shared interest. We are asking to pursue common goals to allow our children to live better and safer lives. This principled realism will guide our decision moving forward. Military power alone will not bring peace to afghanistan or stop the terrorist threat arising in that country. But strategically applied for. To achieve a lasting peace. America will work with the Afghan Government as long as we see determination and progress. However, our commitment is not unlimited. And our support is not a blank check. The government of afghanistan must carry their share of the military, political and economic burden. The American People expect to see real reform, Real Progress and real results. Our patience is not unlimited. We will keep our eyes wide open in abiding by the oath i took on january 20th, i will remain steadfast in protecting american lives and american interests. In this effort, we will make common cost with any nation that chooses to stand and fight alongside us against this global threat. Terrorist take heed, america will never let up until you are dealt a lasting defeat. Under my administration, many billions of dollars more is being spent on our military and this includes vast amounts being spent on our Nuclear Arsenal and missile defense. In every generation we have faced down evil and we have always prevailed. We prevailed because we know who we are, and what we are fighting for. Not far from where we are gathered tonight, hundreds of thousands of americas greatest patriots lay in eternal rest at Arlington National cemetery. There is more courage, sacrifice and love in those hallowed grounds than in any other spot on the face of the earth. Many of those who have fought and died in afghanistan enlisted in the months after september 11th, 2001, they volunteered for a simple reason, they loved america and determined to protect her. Now we must secure the cause for which they gave their lives. We must unite to defend america from her enemies abroad. And we must achieve an honorable an enduring outcome worthy of the price so many have played. All of them will honor the sacrifice of every fallen hero. Every family who lost a loved one. And every Wounded Warrior who shed their blood in defense of our great nation. We will ensure that your service and your families will bring about the defeat of our enemies and the arrival of peace. We will push onward to victory with power in our hearts, courage in our souls and ever lasting pride in each and every one of you. Thank you. May god bless or military and may god bless the United States. Thank you, very much. Thank you. [ applause ] President Trump including his remarks including the path forward in afghanistan. Readily acknowledging the about face he has done in the issue. Things change when you sit behind a desk in the oval office. Did not answer a lot of questions in how many troops will be committed. Saying that sort of operational detail will no longer be defined. Lets bring in our political director chuck todd. What do you make of the president s path forward . You know, under the best of circumstances i think selling a country on extending a war that has lasted 16 years and signaling more troops are going and signaling that there is no end date or no end date that i want to share with you would be a difficult task if he were an extraordinarily popular president right now. Something that he did try to address a bit at the top of his remarks, but lester on the policy front, the rhetorical ratcheting up on pressure on pakistan. Not just talking about pakistan being a safe harbor for these terrorist, but inviting india to play a bigger role. If you dont get your act together we could stop working with you as an ally and work more with india. The most significant thing he said tonight was ratcheting up on pakistan. I wanted to bring in andrea mitchell. How will that go over . Is it going it be a complete surprise to them . It wont be a complete surprise because secretary tillerson did call both countries today. This pressure on pakistan, the obvious headline. And his policy reversal. This will not please his base but i think he made a cogent argument that there cannot be a hasty withdrawal. Also the fact that he is going it get more commitments from the nato allies. But saying that nation building is over. That is going to be a shock to the system in afghanistan. That is the one thing that bush and obama did, was to do a civil reconstruction. A lot of that has been lost as the taliban has reclaimed so much of the country. All right, quickly lets go to peter alexander, the president signed off to more than 4,000 troops. Is that number in play . Reporter thats what we are hearing from senior u. Officials. The speech began with charlottesville, while the tone seemed different tonight, it will be interesting to see how he speaks tomorrow. Thank you. More announcement on the president. A full wrap up tomorrow morning on today. I am lester holt, nbc new york. Have a good evening everyone. The last time he came to town, this violence broke out. Berkeley preparing for the return of myeloyan naply. We want to start with our other headlines at this hour. We can see more violence in berkeley, Milo Yiannopoulos saying he is coming back to town. Nbc bay area thom jensen joins us. And we have seen free speech lead to violence around here. What is the plan this time around. Reporter the plan is to have Police Forces and Security Forces both on campus in the city on place. The city and the campus have been staunch supporters of free speech yet they have seen violence from extremist on both sides of the political aisle. This was the scene at uc berkeley back in february when Milo Yiannopoulos came to campus. Now he says he is coming back to the campus in september to launch a socalled free speech week. I am not sure what i am going to be doing on that day but probably staying far away from there. Reporter this man says he thinks the groups are filled with racist and shouldnt be a loued to gather and spread hate. I think they are wrong. We do got free speech but not the things they are saying. Reporter the city and the school disagree. Saying even hate is protected by the first amendment. There is no doubt that there are possible security threats in the days and weeks ahead. And that doesnt mean we can back off our commitment to free speech, but nor can we back off to the safety of our students and guest. We are berkeley of the Free Speech Movement and we cant dictate based on the content of speech. Reporter and the city and the campus say they will spend the money to have security and police out in force. Anyone who commits violence or promotes violence will be arrested and prosecuted. Thank you, tom, a popular rap art known as keak da sneak is recovering from gun shot wounds. He was shot multiple times at a richmond gas station. This car had rolled across the street into a bus stop. They believe the rapper was targeted. His fans are devastated. I hope you are okay. My prayers are with you, bro. It appears to be a very targeted incident and we want to ensure the neighborhood in that area that everything is safe. The police say the rapper was wounded in a shooting in oakland back in january. Tonight he is stable but a spokesperson is asking his fans to continue to pray for him. When it comes to housing for the homeless in san jose, a lot of neighborhoods are saying not in my backyard. The number of proposed locations of communities known as tiny homes has shrunk from 99 to just four. San jose wants to put transitional housing in every district. And tiny homes is considers a possible solution. The idea is now hanging by a thread. Heated public hearing is just about to start. Robert . Reporter we are here at the haze mansion in san jose where a Community Meeting on tiny homes is about to start. And we are told that extra security is on hand. As you heard, the issue is generating a lot of anger and desperation. A political battleground, one of the few remaining sites for a proposed tiny home community. The city eliminated all but four spots. Tiny homes are small but efficient structure in communities with strict grount rules. A petition of residents are against the proposal. It doesnt bother me for the moment, lets see what the proposal is. Lets coalesce behind a single idea and as a community make it work out for everybody. Reporter advocates say a single idea is all that is left. It has to go forward. Right now it is tiny homes or what we have been doing which is nothing. And nothing makes the death rate go higher and higher. How we go about it, who lives there. A host of questions need to be addressed. A lot rides on what san jose does. It puts people in a pipeline towards permanent housing. It gets them out of places where they shouldnt be or we dont want to see them and people are suffering. Reporter presented to the city council when it takes up tiny homes at its meetings on august 29th. Thank you, robert. Did you see it . And if so, where were you . The first total eclipse in the continental u. S. Since 1918. Everyone looking upwards in the sky today. From schools to streets and rooftops. People taking a moment or two out of their day to watch this rare occurrence. About 75 it went dark in places li like. How was it where you were . Reporter it has been a century as you mentioned. We were out here early this morning. Absolutely a buzz. 2,500 ticket scanned between the hours of nine and 11 clock in the museum this morning. Families had planned this for months and they will never forget what they saw today. A signature San Francisco morning meant that sky gazers had to work harder to find the first signs. When the clouds are not there, we see the partial eclipse where you are searching and the moon is starting to cover the sun. It is pretty clear. Reporter there were burst of spectacular views to follow. Look at the faces of the people piling into this plaza. No specialty glasses no problem. About to go to work, but i figured i would check it out. Reporter you got the glasses and that is half the battle. Someone just gave it to us right now. Reporter this is only part of the story. We have been watching these videos for a while now and it is cool to see it in person. Reporter these little girls, aleah and ariana is celebrating their ninth birthday. How many times do your birthday end on a Solar Eclipse. Reporter a quartet was serenading. No phenomenon said to be more provocative. Reporter the explore storium playing on those. He told me that he describes the kronus quartet as a harmony between the arts and the sciences. I am sam brock, back to you in the studio. Even with special glasses we talked to several doctors who reported some problems. None of them serious. Nasa played its satellite field inside showing the total eclipse that many saw along the path at the center of the country. People used dark glasses camera, cell phones and even makeshift. I am glad so many people are interested in aastronomy. We need that public support. Over the next few weeks we are going to learn more about how the atmosphere reacted. What happened during the eclipse. Now we have much more covered on the Solar Eclipse on nbcbayarea. Com. You can watch raw video of the eclipse plus a side show of all the images across all of the bay area. A few moments ago, a nationwide address President Trump outlining to the world his new strategy for afghanistan. Larry gerston is with us with instant reaction to the president s full comment. I am meteorologist jeff ranieri. We will let you know how long this chance lasts. My next update in about 15 minutes. Food. Water. Internet. We need it to live. But what we dont need are surprises, like extra monthly fees. I see you, fee, played by legendary actress anjelica huston. You got me, mark. We just want fast internet for one, simple rate. For all the streaming and the shopping and the newsing, but most of all. For the this. Internet for one everyday simple price and no extra monthly fees. President trump delivered a prime time address on his military strategy in afghanistan. As part of that stategy, the president says he is sending american troops back into e he. The president delivered a military address. He is sending more american troops back into the country. America hastily and mistakenly withdrew from iraq. As a result our hard one gains slipped back into the hands of terrorist enemies. Our soldiers watched were occupied by a terrorist group called isis. The vacuum we created by leaving too soon giving safe haven for isis to spread, grow, and launch attacks. Measured and very firm from our president. Now a lot of talk about ha he said. But how he delivered the message is important. He sounded president ial. And we dont see that all the time. A couple of big take aways here. We are staying the course. And that is a 180. And he said so. Number two, military might is more important. And number three, perhaps the biggest take away of all pakistan beware. Lets talk about that 180. This is a president that criticized the former president when he withdrew troops from afghanistan. When he said he is not going it let us know how many troops are going on or saying we are going to attack them but not going to tell you when they are going to attack them. This is vintage donald trump. He doesnt want to make a mistake of saying we are getting out of there. He said that was a mistake. Truth be told, this is a dangerous approach he is taking. The president is not popular. He is at 35 on a good day and by telling people that after 16 years we are staying there and in all likelihood putting more fire power. How this resonates, i think there will be a lot of discussion. He said something today that democrats and republicans are wishing he would do more often. He said we must be a nation at peace within our own borders. That is a direct reflection of what happened at charlottesville. A direct reflection of the miserable past tendays that this person has suffered. Tonight he goes back towards the conciliatory role. He is trying to find some ground here where he can land because he has caught all kinds of criticisms so quite brilliant this idea of being one nation abroad and one nation at home. That one remains to be seen. It was well written. The speech writers did a good job. Well crafted and he stuck to the script. More details online, go to nbcbayarea. Com. We have devoted a whole section. We saw a lot of views from the ground but how about this one. A special flight on alaskan airlines. University professors a meteorologist and an astronaut were on board to provide live commentary. But to get this interesting and rare view up close, it was pricey. One couple paid 21,000 bucks for the seats. Wow. Experience of a lifetime. I was watching the feed, coming outside, coming back. I wish i could have been there. But i wasnt. Here in the bay area. Cloud coverage this morning but thankfully enough cleared so we can see it here. It was the first time in nine nan years th nine years. Another eclipse hitting 2024. But what you want to be around for is 245. That could last six minutes. Again, august the 12thth of 245. I posted a clip on twitter and follow me. We are tracking some thunderstorms that were across the sierra this afternoon. Some of the residual moisture has been into the bay area. Light, spotty showers starting to push into the south bay. Just enough that you might need the windshield wipers on for a little bit. It looks like we could see a small batch mauoving into the north bay. Classic summer morning coming our way. South bay 63 degrees. Peninsula, fog at the coast. Fog back for San Francisco. On the north bay, we could have storms firing off to the north and to the east of you. Temps warm up for tomorrow. You can see here in san jose 82 degrees. Gilroy 86. And los gatos 84. As comfortable as 72 in oakland. 64 in Half Moon Bay and 77 in palo alto. 83 in novato and 79 in sonoma. San francisco no big real issues. 69 on saturday. 70 on sunday and you can see dry weather through the next sevendays. It does get hotter by saturdays forecast. You can see the trend wont last long. The weekend low to mid90s. So 30 plus years, we will be around and be able to see that one. 245. I am 2045. Accusations of abusing the system. The reason bart is pulling back on an old school perk for Police Officers. Our collaboration with pg e is centered around public safety. Without pg es assistance, without their training we could not do our mission to keep our Community Safe. Anytime we are responding to a structure fire, one of the first calls you make is for pg e for gas and electric safety. Its my job to make sure that they have the training that they need to make the scene safe for themselves and for the public. Its handson training actually turning valves, turning systems off, looking at different wire systems all that training is crucial to keeping our Community Safe and our firefighters safe. Together, were building a better california. Get to ride bart fore. A bit of a curve ball here. Traditional Police Officers get to ride bart for free. But now bart is cracking down. More than 4,000 Police Officers can ride bart free of charge. It is part of an Older Program meant to help boost security on trains. But the perk only applies to full time officers licensed to carry a gun. The chronicle is reporting bart revokes passed for 140 that dont qualify. Cal trans announced demolition dates. Starting Labor Day Weekend should last through november. Should finish the demolition a year ahead of schedule. Should save taxpayers 10 million. So how did we do . We are happy to report a lot of dogs and cats have new homes and loving homes it was such a fun day filled with love. Thanks to generosity of people across the bay area. Last update more than 1600 pets were adopted in the bay area. Nationwide more than 68,000 pets found their forever home. That is a good number. That was abigail tchi wowwa. Lets go to baseball. The as at orrios. It was all or yols for there. Baltimore leads 63. The giants also in action tonight against the brewers. Are you down now because the eclipse is gone . You have a post eclipse look to you. Have a great evening. Extra remembers the legendary jerry lewis. Gone at 91, his final days, his headline making final interview. Have you ever thought about retiring . Why . His rise to fame with martin and lewis. The telethon that raised billions. What was it like working with jerry. The stars remembering the icon today. Plus, health battles, weight gain, depression. Lewis lost extra interview about the personal pain behind the laughs. I came so close to ending it all. Then america mourns another icon, civil rights activist and comedian, dick gregory. He was a personal hero of mine. Today the great moments we shared over the years