President Donald Trump changed his mind about sending more troops to Afghanistan after a campaign by his national security adviser H.R. McMaster which reportedly included showing the president a photograph of women in miniskirts in Kabul.

The picture from 1972 was used by Mr McMaster in an effort to demonstrate to Mr Trump that Western culture could return to Afghanistan if he sent more troops, the Washington Post reported. It showed the women walking in a street in the Afghan capital.

H.R. McMaster and Donald Trump credit: Reuters

Mr Trump had railed against US involvement in Afghanistan during last year's election campaign, calling it a "total disaster and vowing to end the 16 year US involvement.

His former chief strategist Steve Bannon fought an ongoing battle with Mr McMaster to keep the president from raising the number of US troops there form the current 8,400.

On Monday, days after Mr Bannon was forced out of the white House, Mr Trump announced his commitment to winning what had become the longest US military conflict.

He gave no details of how many more troops would be deployed but it is likely to be several thousand.

Mr Trump said: "The American people are weary of war without victory. I share the American people’s frustration. In the end, we will fight and we will win."

He was also convinced by the argument that America should not let Afghanistan become a haven for terrorists, and dismissed the idea of removing troops and handing their job over to private contractors.