LONDON (AP) – Tony Blair, British Prime Minister deploying troops to Afghanistan 20 years ago, after the 9/11 attacks, he says the U.S. decision to withdraw from the country makes “all jihadist groups around the world cheer.”
In a lengthy essay posted on his website on Saturday afternoon, the former Labor Party leader said the sudden and chaotic withdrawal that allowed the Taliban to regain power risked undermining everything that had been achieved in Afghanistan over the past two decades., including advances in the standard of living and education of girls.
“The abandonment of Afghanistan and its people is tragic, dangerous, unnecessary, not in their own interest or ours,” said Blair, who served as prime minister during 1997-2007, a period that also he was seen again by the US-led war in Iraq in 2003.
“Now the world does not know where the West is because it is so obvious that the decision to withdraw from Afghanistan in this way was not driven by a great strategy, but by politics,” he added.
Blair also accused US President Joe Biden of being in obedience to a silly political slogan about ending “wars forever”, as if our commitment in 2021 was remotely comparable to our commitment 20 years ago. even ten years ”.
The former prime minister, whose reputation in the UK caused an immersion in not finding the alleged weapons of mass destruction that were cited as justification for the US coalition’s invasion of Iraq, said Britain has a “moral obligation” to remain in Afghanistan until everyone who has to be evacuated is fired.
“We have to evacuate and give sanctuary to those to whom we have a responsibility: those Afghans who helped us and supported us and have the right to demand that we stand by their side, ”he said.
Like other nations, Britain is trying to evacuate Afghan allies and its own citizens from Afghanistan, but with an August 31 deadline set by the United States in sight, it is a race against time.
In addition to the 4,000 or so citizens of the United Kingdom, the country is believed to have around 5,000 Afghan allies., such as translators and drivers, destined to sit on a plane. The Defense Ministry said on Sunday that nearly 4,000 people had been evacuated so far.
Blair acknowledged that mistakes have been made over the past two decades, but added that military interventions can be noble in their intent, especially when an extreme Islamist threat is challenged.
“Today we are in a state of mind that seems to regard the contribution of democracy as a utopian illusion and an intervention of virtually any kind as a fool’s errand.” He said.
Blair also warned that the US decision to keep Britain in the dark about the withdrawal runs the risk of relegating the country to “the second division of world powers”.
However, he said the UK, in its role as the current chair of the Seven Nations Group, was in a position to help coordinate an international response to “hold the new regime accountable”.
The British Conservative government has been working diplomatically to ensure that there is no unilateral recognition of a Taliban government in Afghanistan.
“We need to draw up a list of incentives, sanctions, actions we can take, including protecting the civilian population so that the Taliban understand that their actions will have consequences,” Blair said.
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