WITHDRAWAL FROM AFGHANISTAN: THE FALLOUT NEVER STOP BEING PROUD

Minister praises heroic efforts of UK forces as Taliban tightens grip...AND FORMER PM BLAIR HITS OUT AT BIDEN’S ‘IMBECILIC’ DECISION. UK SOLDIERS TOLD TO BE PROUD OF SERVICE AS FURY GROWS OVER SUDDEN WITHDRAWAL

- Marco Giannangeli

BRITISH veterans who served in Afghanistan should be proud of what they accomplished, despite the chaos in Kabul, the Armed Forces minister said last night.

James Heappey, a former infantry major who served two tours of Afghanistan, acknowledged “anger and frustration” over the endgame.

But he told our forces: “We gave a war-torn nation a taste of freedom – we gave them space for an education that can never be taken away.” His comments came as Tony Blair, the PM who sent troops into Afghanistan, blasted the decision to withdraw as “imbecilic”.

In an essay he said news of the withdrawal had left “every Jihadist group round the world cheering” and suggested the world was now asking: “Is this a moment when the West is in epoch-changing retreat?”

Last night it emerged that Britain had objected in the months following US President Joe Biden’s decision to pull out all troops by the 20th anniversary of 9/11.

Senior military sources have revealed how the head of Britain’s armed forces, General Sir Nick Carter, was a sole voice of dissent at a crunch meeting of Nato joint chiefs of staff in Brussels, arguing “our job isn’t over – it is too soon and we are simply not ready”.

His efforts were later backed by Defence Secretary Ben Wallace, who lobbied counterparts ahead of a Nato meeting on June 1 to put the subject of date changes on the agenda – but without success.