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UK MPs blast ‘systemic failures of leadership, planning’ of Afghan withdrawal
The UK’s chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan last year showed “systemic failures of leadership, planning and preparation”, according to a scathing inquiry by British MPs published on Tuesday.
The House of Commons Foreign Affairs Committee probe revealed a “fundamental lack of planning, grip or leadership at a time of national emergency” before and during the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) takeover of Kabul in August last year, France24 reported.
“The manner of our withdrawal from Afghanistan was a disaster and a betrayal of our allies that will damage the UK’s interests for years to come,” the report said.
At the time, Prime Minister Boris Johnson hailed a mission “unlike anything we have seen in our lifetimes” with the UK airlifting over 15,000 people in two weeks.
But foreign secretary at the time, Dominic Raab, was heavily criticised for not immediately leaving a beach holiday when the IEA took control.
The report however stated that during the run-up to the IEA takeover, the government and civil servants suffered from an “optimism bias” that the US would change its mind about withdrawing, despite it having been announced by president Donald Trump in February 2020.
“The UK government failed adequately to shape or respond to Washington’s decision to withdraw, to predict the speed of the Taliban’s (IEA) takeover, or to plan and prepare for the evacuation of our Afghan partners,” it added.
“Most damning for the Foreign Office is the total absence of a plan for evacuating Afghans who supported the UK mission, without being directly employed by the UK government, despite knowing 18 months before the collapse of Afghanistan that an evacuation might be necessary.”
In responding to questions from the Committee, which started work on the report in September, the Foreign Office “provided answers that were intentionally evasive and often deliberately misleading”.
Instead, two whistleblowers provided crucial testimony to the committee, France24 reported.
“Those who lead the Foreign Office should be ashamed that civil servants of great integrity felt compelled to risk their careers to bring the situation to light,” the report said.
The committee called on the government to “commit to a serious strategy for future engagement with Afghanistan”, warning that “attempts to isolate the new regime entirely may only hurt the Afghan people and leave a vacuum to be filled by China.
“Failure to do so would abandon women and girls in the single biggest reversal of rights in a generation,” it said.
It called on the UK to re-establish a diplomatic presence “as soon as it is safe to do so, and to work with those on the ground who can support civil society”, France24 reported.
During Russian President Vladimir Putin’s visit to New Delhi, India and Russia issued a joint statement highlighting their close coordination on Afghanistan. Both sides appreciated the ongoing dialogue between their respective Security Councils and underscored the significance of the Moscow Format meetings in promoting regional stability.
The leaders welcomed counter-terrorism efforts targeting international terrorist groups, including ISIS, ISKP, and their affiliates, expressing confidence in a comprehensive and effective approach to combating terrorism in Afghanistan. They also stressed the urgent need to ensure uninterrupted humanitarian assistance to the Afghan people.
India and Russia have maintained close ties on regional security, particularly concerning developments in Afghanistan following the Islamic Emirate’s return to power in 2021. The Moscow Format, a diplomatic platform including Afghanistan’s neighbors, has played a key role in facilitating dialogue on peace, stability, and counter-terrorism in the region.
Five civilians were killed and five others wounded in firing by Pakistani troops on Spin Boldak district of Kandahar province late on Friday, sources told Ariana News.
The attack comes two days after a new round of peace talks between Afghanistan and Pakistan reportedly ended without a breakthrough, though both sides agreed to continue their fragile ceasefire.
The recent talks in Saudi Arabia were the latest in a series of meetings hosted by Qatar, Turkey and Saudi Arabia aimed at easing tensions after deadly clashes near the Durand Line in October. Dozens were killed in the clashes in October.
Islamabad claims that Afghanistan-based militants carried out the recent attacks in Pakistan. Kabul denies the allegations, saying it cannot be held responsible for security inside Pakistan.
Zabihullah Mujahid, spokesman for the Islamic Emirate, said Afghan forces had responded to the recent Pakistani attacks.
Pakistani Foreign Ministry spokesman Tahir Hussain Andrabi says both Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Sadyr Japarov, the President of Kyrgyzstan, who visited Islamabad on Thursday, expressed their mutual commitment to a peaceful, stable Afghanistan with a sustainable future for the Afghan people.
Speaking in a press conference on Friday, Andrabi stated that both sides agreed that the Islamic Emirate must fulfill its obligations toward the international community and take concrete steps against terrorist groups to address Pakistan’s legitimate security concerns.
This comes while the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan has repeatedly emphasized that no terrorist groups operate from Afghan territory and that it will not allow anyone to use Afghan soil against any country.
The Islamic Emirate has also stated that Pakistan’s security concerns are an internal issue of that country, and Pakistan itself must take measures to prevent any security incidents.
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