Holidaying Raab was ‘caught off guard’
DOMINIC RAAB has admitted he was ‘caught off guard’ by the Taliban taking Afghanistan as he defended jetting off on holiday while British troops embarked on a rescue mission.
The foreign secretary claimed yesterday ‘no-one’ could have predicted the group would seize power at the weekend – despite widespread coverage about the looming crisis from outlets including Metro, which reported the Taliban’s rapid advance on two front pages last week.
Mr Raab opted to spend Friday and Saturday night at a five-star resort in Crete, after the UK announced on Thursday it was sending 600 British troops to aid evacuation – and did not get home until Sunday night, by which time the Taliban had seized power.
He insisted to Sky News: ‘Everyone was caught off guard by the pace, scale of the Taliban takeover. I wouldn’t have gone on holiday if I had known that would be the case.’
He added being in the UK would have made little difference because he was ‘engaged in Cobra’ and talking to officials anyway.
However, a guest at the Grecotel Amirandes Boutique hotel told The Telegraph: ‘We were surprised to see Dominic Raab lounging around on the beach on the very day Kabul was falling into Taliban hands. He was on the beach all day.’
Lord Dannatt, former chief of the general staff, told Times Radio the minister should have ‘shown some leadership’. Boris Johnson also took a trip to Somerset on Saturday and rushed back the next day. Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer criticised both holidaymakers – saying it was ‘obvious’ the situation was serious.