Danger of betraying those who helped us

Like everyone I was sadden and distressed at the recent events in Afghanistan. Just as the US wanted to run away, I do not see why the other NATO partners could not have remained to ensure stability.

In my old job at the BBC World Service, I visited the country a number of times so have firsthand experience from a nonmilitary perspective.

The Afghans are a very hospitable people and to see how life returned to something akin to the pre-Taliban era was a joy to behold.

On my first visit to Kabul in 2002, there was no electricity at the airport, no navigation system. The airport was approached along a long single road and about 50% of the city had been demolished in the process of mine clearance. However, the joy of the people at being rid of the Taliban rung out.

Britain has a responsibility to help the Afghan people, tens of thousands of people worked with UK organisations directly and many more people were encouraged to take the freedoms they had as a result of the ISAF (NATO) forces being there.

We had our armed forces there for 20 years, lots of our armed people lost their lives or were seriously maimed both physically and psychologically. They have unfortunately also been let down by the shambles the US and UK have left in Afghan- istan.

Britain and the US have betrayed a strategic ally but should we be surprised? Look at the disasters left behind in

Iraq and Libya where the British supported the Americans.

If we invade, or liberate - choose your own words - then we have responsibilities to leave the countries in a better state than when we went in.

For the UK to say it will only allow in 20,000 refugees is the tip of the iceberg in terms of families of people who worked directly or indirectly with UK organisations over the last 20 years.

We need to take in a much larger number if we are not to betray those people.

Paul Harper (Lab)