Ominique Rab Has flown to Qatar for talks to discuss the government’s “primary task” for the safe evacuation of British nationals and Afghan interpreters from Taliban-controlled Afghanistan
The foreign secretary’s trip was in his face from Congressman Regarding the effort to evacuate from Kabul Airport, where he was asked Ministry of Foreign Affairs Document recommendations for July Taliban It can advance quickly in Afghanistan.
At the same time, the Prime Minister is expected to visit the troops in southeast England that helped withdraw from Kabul.
A statement from the British Foreign Office stated that Mr. Raab’s “priority” is to help British nationals and Afghans who support the British army go to the UK.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs will meet with Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani and Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdullahman A during his visit to the Persian Gulf countries. Lesani.
Before heading to the airport, Mr. Raab spoke with Dr. Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, Minister of Foreign Affairs of India, and thanked him for helping to ensure that the UN Security Council passed resolutions on Afghanistan.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that Mr. Raab will discuss the government’s “four key Afghan priorities” during Doha, including “preventing Afghanistan from becoming a safe haven for terrorists, responding to humanitarian dilemmas, maintaining regional stability, and holding the Taliban accountable to humanity.” .
During Mr. Raab’s visit to Doha, Wimbledon’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Lord Ahmed, will travel to Tajikistan to discuss a safe passage for people fleeing from neighboring Afghanistan.
On Wednesday, Mr. Raab told the Foreign Affairs Committee that the number of British nationals still in Afghanistan was “only a few hundred”, but he could not give a “clear answer” on how many people in Afghanistan are eligible to settle in Afghanistan. The UK is already “lagging behind” under the current plan.
Mr. Raab faced continuing questions from members of Congress about how the British failed to predict how quickly the Afghan government would fall into the hands of the Taliban, who occupied Kabul on August 15.
He told them: “The central assessment that we are carrying out, of course, is also supported by the JIC (Joint Intelligence Committee) and the military. The most likely core proposition is to take into account the withdrawal of US troops. At the end of August, you will see that from then on It has been steadily deteriorating, and Kabul is unlikely to fall this year.”
A Ministry of Foreign Affairs document called the Main Risk Register published on July 22 appears to warn that Afghanistan may fall into the Taliban’s hands earlier than the UK had previously predicted.
The document seen by The Guardian said: “Peace talks are deadlocked and the withdrawal of US NATO forces has led to the rapid advancement of the Taliban. This may lead to: the fall of cities, the collapse of security forces, the return of the Taliban to power, mass displacement and major humanitarian needs. If the security situation deteriorates, the embassy may need to be closed.”
However, a spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that the suggestion that the document “is inconsistent with our detailed assessment of the situation in Afghanistan or our public position throughout the crisis” is “false and misleading.”
They added: “The July document clearly stated that our central plan at the time assumed that the peace process in Afghanistan will continue for another six months.”
In mid-August, when the Taliban surrounded Kabul, MPs also pressured Mr. Raab to go on holiday to Crete, but he refused to provide more details, labeling these issues as “fishing expeditions.”
With Mr. Raab holding safe passage talks in Doha, Boris Johnson is expected to visit a military base in the southeast on Thursday and meet with troops involved in the evacuation of Kabul Airport.
The Prime Minister will end a four-day tour of the western countries starting on Sunday.
His official spokesperson refused to describe it as a holiday, but insisted that Mr. Johnson was not in the office to “continue to work”.
