Afghanistan in its benighted history has been a Colonial battleground, being used as a political football in world politics.

Britain has been involved in the country on numerous occasions, and seems totally incapable of learning any lessons from its own history.

2021

Saturday 28th August 2021

The UK presence in Afghanistan was terminated by the UK Conservative Party Administration. With the Final flight from Kabul airport, to bring anyone back to the UK, was on Saturday 28th August 2021. With the return of the British Ambassador to Afghanistan, the Government has turned its back on the country and its people. Whatever the real reason Britain, was again dragged into yet another involvement in Afghanistan. Everyone especially the Afghan people have the right to ask, what exactly was this one for and what precisely has it achieved?

Looking on the official Ministry of Defence website for the British Army regarding its presence, in Afghanistan makes for interesting though somewhat disingenuous reading.

This is a verbatim quote directly from the webpage, I have deliberately underlined specific comments that I consider worth going into in detail:

British Army in Afghanistan

The Taliban gave safe haven to Al Qaeda in Afghanistan, which allowed terrorists to plan and carry out attacks around the world. We joined many other nations in a NATO/ISAF-led military intervention to bring Al-Qaeda’s leaders to justice, remove the Taliban from control in Afghanistan and prevent the country again becoming a safe haven for international terrorists.

WHY WE WERE THERE

As of June 2021, the British Army deployment to Afghanistan since 2001 and in that time more than 100,000 soldiers have been deployed on operations including Veritas, Fingal, Tarrock, Herrick and Toral, alongside our international partners.

The UK has played a leading role throughout including forming and commanding the first International Stabilisation and Assistance Force (ISAF) with Headquarters HQ 3(UK) Division in November 2001.

The Taliban gave safe haven to Al Qaeda in Afghanistan, which allowed terrorists to plan and carry out attacks all around the world. We joined many other nations in a NATO/ISAF-led military intervention, supported by a UN Security Council Resolution, to prevent the country once again becoming a haven fo international terrorists.

The international military campaign has reduced the terrorist threat from this region and helped train a 350,000 strong Afghan National Security Force, which now has security responsibility for Afghanistan's 30 million citizens.

The webpage goes onto explain how the British Army has worked alongside its allies, especially those of Afghanistan to meet these objectives just given. Especially relevant here in the light of current events is the work with the then Afghanistan Government agencies.

But I am getting ahead of myself back to the passage in the British Army blurb, regarding “Remove the Taliban from control in Afghanistan”. No-one especially Afghan civilians need, to be asked has that objective been achieved? Emphatically NO instead the hasty withdrawal of all, of the NATO forces has been precisely. Because of a humiliating and degrading defeat of these, very forces at the hands of these very Taliban. The Taliban as I write these words are back in control of Afghanistan, and what pray can or will the western political nations do next?

The closure of the British Embassy will have a number of repercussions, directly for those left behind. Who still unto the last second thought that their, British passport made the somehow safe.

Embassies exist in countries for specific political reasons but they can also serve, as something else that can remain intangible until its put to the test.
For British citizens abroad and for those who, work with or for British interests business or otherwise. The Embassy can be many things, not least in times of trouble an international safe haven. If the British Embassy were still there in Afghanistan, then it would be some kind of refuge from the political upheaval.

The UK Government’s closure of its Embassy and the removal of its Ambassador, is something rather more than of mere academic importance. Especially to those in the very Afghan Agencies, that the British Army declares it was there to support. With the unconditional defeat of the Afghan Administration, that the NATO Governments went to Afghanistan to support. All that work that the British Army describes it was their for, and boasted was being achieved. Is now for nought as the former, Afghan Government and its Agencies no longer exist. And a great deal of the equipment used by NATO and Afghan forces, is now in the hands of the Taliban.