BORIS ‘MISSING IN ACTION’ ON KABUL
»»Starmer slams ‘incapable’ PM »»300 eligible for UK left behind
PRIME Minister Boris Johnson was branded “incapable of international leadership” as he told MPs hundreds of Afghans who were eligible to come to the UK had been left behind.
Keir Starmer led the attack on the Government’s handling of the Afghanistan crisis insisting the PM was “complacent and wrong” to underestimate the strength of the Taliban.
The Labour leader said: “We’ve a Prime Minister incapable of international leadership, just when we need it most.
“History will tell the tale of [the evacuation] Operation Pitting as one of immense bravery. We are proud of all those who contributed, their story made even more remarkable by the fact whilst they were saving lives our political leadership was missing in action.” Speaking to the Commons on the first day back after summer recess, the PM admitted 311 Afghans left behind are eligible to be resettled. Johnson said the UK will do “everything possible” to help those entitled to resettle in the UK, adding: “More than 15,000 people were airlifted to safety in the largest evacuation effort since the Second World War.”
Starmer said troops who helped people as the Taliban seized Kabul should be awarded medals. The two-week operation falls short of the 30 days’ service required. Johnson defended the
UK’s 20 years of military action in Afghanistan, saying “this country and the western world were protected from al-Qaeda throughout that period”. Meanwhile, former Labour PM Tony Blair has warned the UK should prepare for bio-weapon attacks from Islamic terrorists in the wake of Covid. Marking the 20th anniversary of 9/11 attacks, Blair, who took the UK to war in Afghanistan, said the idea was no longer in the “realm of science fiction”. He told the Royal United Services Institute think-tank: “Covid-19 has taught us about deadly pathogens. We’d be wise to prepare for their potential use by non-state actors.”