LONDON, Aug 17 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan is a “failure of the international community”, Britain’s Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said, assessing that the West’s intervention was a job only half-done.
“All of us know that Afghanistan is not finished. It’s an unfinished problem for the world and the world needs to help it,” he told BBC television.
He maintained the 20-year intervention by US-led forces “wasn’t a waste, it wasn’t for nothing” but accused Western powers of being politically short-sighted.
“If it’s a failure, it’s a failure of the international community to not realise that you don’t fix things overnight,” he said.
Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said the speed of the Taliban takeover took Western powers by surprise but was “the new reality”, vowing a tough line on the new regime.
“We’re making it clear with our partners, with all the means at our disposal, that we will hold the Taliban to account, to its commitments,” he told reporters.
But with concern about an erosion of the hard-fought gains, notably in women’s rights, over the past two decades, Raab said the West could still have a “moderating influence”.
Relief of existing sanctions “will depend on the behaviour of the Taliban”, he said.
Britain last month withdrew most of its 750 remaining troops but is now sending 600 soldiers back to help with repatriation.
Officials are aiming to take 1,200 to 1,500 people from Afghanistan a day, with the first flight having landed at a British air force base on Sunday night.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson has said Britain would help about 3,000 nationals to leave but questions are being asked why he did not do more to oppose Washington’s withdrawal.
He convened another meeting of his emergency and contingencies group — the third in four days — and parliament has been recalled, amid criticism from veterans.
BRUSSELS: NATO envoys will hold emergency talks on Tuesday on the situation in Afghanistan as Western powers scramble to evacuate personnel from Kabul after the Taliban takeover, an alliance official said.
Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg will then hold a news conference at 1300 GMT — his first appearance before the media since June — as the alliance reels following the collapse of the Afghan government forces.
Stoltenberg tweeted Sunday that NATO was “helping keep Kabul airport open to facilitate and coordinate evacuations”, but there were scenes of chaos as crowds tried to board departing planes.
The Taliban’s seizure of power comes after NATO withdrew its 9,500-strong mission on the back of a decision from US President Joe Biden to pull out his troops.
Armin Laschet, the candidate from Angela Merkel’s party to succeed her as German Chancellor, on Monday described the situation as “the biggest debacle that NATO has suffered since its founding” — seven decades ago. — NNN-AGENCIES
