Olis Johnson He has said that it is an “illusion” to think that Britain alone can prevent the collapse of Afghanistan after the United States withdraws.
As Congressman Return to Westminster to attend the emergency meeting of Parliament, Prime Minister Denied government Not ready Taliban Take over over the weekend.
He told the crowded House of Commons that the top priority now is to evacuate the remaining British nationals and their allies.
After the government of Western-backed President Ashraf Ghani quickly collapsed in the face of Taliban attacks over the weekend, the government faced strong criticism—especially from the Conservative Party.
Mr. Johnson said that after the United States announced its intention to withdraw, when the ministers began to consider the British option, they encountered the “difficult reality” that there were no Americans and no willingness to continue among allies.
He said: “The West cannot continue this American-led mission, a mission designed to support the United States.”
“I really think that it is an illusion to believe that any of our partners is interested in the continued military presence or military solutions imposed by NATO in Afghanistan. This idea ended with the 2014 combat mission.
“I don’t believe that deploying tens of thousands of British troops to fight the Taliban today is an option, no matter how sincere people advocate it — I thank them for their sincerity — but I don’t believe this is a way to recommend myself to the British people or this House. .
“We must deal with the current situation and accept what we have achieved and what we haven’t achieved.”
When Mr. Johnson denied that the events on the weekend caught the government off guard, lawmakers made an incredible voice.
He said that the plan has been going on for several months and it was decided two weeks ago to open an emergency handling center at Kabul Airport.
“I think it’s fair to say that the events in Afghanistan have unfolded and the rate of collapse is even faster than the Taliban predicted,” he said.
“It is incorrect to say that the British government is not prepared or foreseeing this.
“This is of course part of our plan-the very difficult logistical operation of evacuation of British nationals has been prepared for several months.”
The situation has stabilized since the weekend, but it is still unstable
Mr Johnson said the top priority is to evacuate as many remaining British nationals and Afghans working with the British in the country as soon as possible.
Although the Taliban currently allows the evacuation to continue, he said it is not yet clear how long this situation will last.
He said: “Since the weekend, the situation has stabilized but remains unstable. Local British officials are making every effort to speed up the movement of people.”
“At present, it is fair to say that the Taliban allowed the evacuation to continue.
“The most important thing is that we complete this work as quickly as possible, and this is what we are doing.”
Mr. Johnson stated that so far, the government has ensured the safe return of 306 British nationals and 2,052 Afghans. It has also completed 2,000 Afghan applications and more applications are being processed.
He acknowledged the sacrifices of British troops that have served in the country since 2001, and expressed his commitment to working with allies to ensure that it no longer becomes the center of international terrorism.
“Even in the heartbreaking scene we see today, I believe they should be proud of their achievements, and we should be deeply proud of them,” he said.
“They gave everything for our safety, and we have a responsibility to give everything for them to prevent Afghanistan from becoming a hotbed of terrorism again.”
The leader of the Labour Party, Sir Kil Starmer, said that the government was “inadequately prepared” and Mr Johnson bears “heavy responsibility” for this.
He said that the Prime Minister has the ability to play a leading role on the international stage, but he has not been able to do so.
He said: “Desperate situations require leadership skills and also require the prime minister to cheer up from complacency.”
“We will not abandon our friends when they need them. We have an obligation to the Afghan people.”
Overnight, the government announced a plan to resettle 20,000 vulnerable Afghans, especially women and girls, of which 5,000 will arrive within the first 12 months.
The plan has attracted criticism from some members of Congress that it is not generous enough, but Priti Patel, the Secretary of the Interior, said that it is important to get the right support first.
“We can’t accommodate 20,000 people at once. This is a huge effort. We can’t do this ourselves,” she told Sky News.
At the same time, she said that a separate plan is being expanded to relocate 5,000 translators and other local staff who have worked with the British.
“There may be as many as 10,000. We are expanding the categories of personnel,” she said.
“We are working with local partners to identify these people.”
