UK military not defeated in Afghanistan, says head of British armed forces
- Published
The UK may be withdrawing most of its troops from Afghanistan but it was not defeated on the battlefield, the head of the British armed forces has said.
It comes after the mother of the youngest British soldier to die there questioned what had been achieved.
Chief of Defence Staff General Sir Nick Carter said attacks such as 9/11 had been prevented from "occurring from Afghanistan" in the period since.
He added "not a day goes by" without him thinking of the 457 UK lives lost.
Confirming most of Britain's troops had now left Afghanistan, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said there could "never be a perfect moment" to withdraw but the UK's presence there was "never intended to be permanent".
Lucy Aldridge, mother of William Aldridge, who was 18 when he was killed in 2009, told the BBC: "I'd like to see with my own eyes, what did we achieve? What was the sacrifice for? Because it's too high a price to pay."
Asked for his response to Ms Aldridge, Gen Carter told the Today programme he "absolutely" understood "where the bereaved come from".
"We have to live with our losses for the rest of our lives" - mother Lucy Aldridge reflects on the loss of her son William
"All those who fought in Afghanistan can hold their heads up very high," he said.
"The British military was not defeated on the battlefield. They showed remarkable adaptability against a very cunning and nefarious opponent, and they showed phenomenal courage under great pressure.
"And, at the end of the day, we have prevented attacks like the one we saw from al-Qaeda on 9/11 ever occurring from Afghanistan in this intervening period, and I think there's no reason to suppose that that can't prevail."
At the height of the war, Nato had more than 130,000 troops from 50 nations in Afghanistan. The UK had 9,500 personnel and 137 bases in Helmand province alone.
But with both the US and UK withdrawing their troops from Afghanistan, violence has been rising and the Taliban are thought to now control more than a third of the country's 400 districts.
On Friday, Afghan officials said the Taliban had captured a major border crossing between Afghanistan and Iran.
Gen Carter said the Afghan army had made a strategic decision to withdraw from some rural parts of the country and concentrate forces on key urban areas.
Asked if he thought the almost two decades spent there had been a success or a failure, Gen Carter said it was "too early to judge" - and he saw three possible scenarios that could play out.
"I think, first and foremost, the current Afghan government, with its very well-trained army, could hold the ring, as it's demonstrating through holding all of the provincial capitals at the moment," he said.
"The second scenario - a very sad scenario - is where the country fractures and you see that government collapse, the Taliban perhaps controlling part of the country and the other nationalities and ethnicities controlling other parts of the country, like we saw in the 1990s.
"Then I think there is a third, more hopeful scenario, which is where you actually see a political compromise and talks occurring.
"If the current Afghan government holds on for long enough and proves to the Taliban it can't be defeated, then I think the third scenario becomes ever more likely."
Asked if the US and UK were abandoning their responsibilities by leaving, the general said both nations would maintain a "diplomatic presence in Kabul for the foreseeable future".
He added the current Afghan army was the best the country had ever had, and that Afghan government institutions, including the army, would continue to receive support in the form of international funding.
Twenty years of conflict in Afghanistan – what happened when?
From 9/11, to intense fighting on the ground, and now full withdrawal of US-led forces, here’s what happened.
9/11
Al-Qaeda, led by Osama Bin Laden in Afghanistan, carries out the largest terror attack ever conducted on US soil.
Four commercial airliners are hijacked. Two are flown into the World Trade Centre in New York, which collapses. One hits the Pentagon building in Washington, and one crashes into a field in Pennsylvania. Nearly 3,000 people are killed.
First air strikes
A US-led coalition bombs Taliban and al-Qaeda facilities in Afghanistan. Targets include Kabul, Kandahar and Jalalabad.
The Taliban, who took power after a decade-long Soviet occupation was followed by civil war, refuse to hand over Bin Laden. Their air defences and small fleet of fighter aircraft are destroyed.
Fall of Kabul
The Northern Alliance, a group of anti-Taliban rebels backed by coalition forces, enters Kabul as the Taliban flee the city.
By the 13 November 2001, all Taliban have either fled or been neutralised. Other cities quickly fall.
New constitution
After protracted negotiations at a “loya jirga” or grand assembly, the new Afghan constitution is signed into law. The constitution paves the way for presidential elections in October 2004.
Hamid Karzai becomes president
Hamid Karzai, the leader of the Popalzai Durrani tribe, becomes the first president under the new constitution. He serves two five-year terms as president.
UK troops deployed to Helmand
British troops arrive in Helmand province, a Taliban stronghold in the south of the country.
Their initial mission is to support reconstruction projects, but they are quickly drawn into combat operations. More than 450 British troops lose their lives in Afghanistan over the course of the conflict.
Obama’s surge
US President Barack Obama approves a major increase in the number of troops sent to Afghanistan. At their peak, they number about 140,000.
The so-called “surge” is modelled on US strategy in Iraq where US forces focussed on protecting the civilian population as well as killing insurgent fighters.
Osama Bin Laden killed
The leader of al-Qaeda is killed in an assault by US Navy Seals on a compound in Abbottabad in Pakistan. Bin Laden’s body is removed and buried at sea. The operation ends a 10-year hunt led by the CIA. The confirmation that Bin Laden had been living on Pakistani soil fuels accusations in the US that Pakistan is an unreliable ally in the war on terror.
Death of Mullah Omar
The founder of the Taliban, Mullah Mohammed Omar, dies. His death is kept secret for more than two years.
According to Afghan intelligence, Mullah Omar dies of health problems at a hospital in the Pakistani city of Karachi. Pakistan denies that he was in the country.
Nato ends combat operations
At a ceremony in Kabul, Nato ends its combat operations in Afghanistan. With the surge now over, the US withdraws thousands of troops. Most of those who remain focus on training and supporting the Afghan security forces.
Taliban resurgence
The Taliban launch a series of suicide attacks, car bombings and other assaults. The parliament building in Kabul, and the city of Kunduz are attacked. Islamic State militants begin operations in Afghanistan.
Death toll announcement
Afghan President Ashraf Ghani says more than 45,000 members of his country’s security forces have been killed since he became leader in 2014. The figure is far higher than previously thought.
US signs deal with Taliban
The US and the Taliban sign an “agreement for bringing peace” to Afghanistan, in Doha, Qatar. The US and Nato allies agree to withdraw all troops within 14 months if the militants uphold the deal.
Date for final withdrawal
US president Joe Biden announces that all US troops will leave Afghanistan by 11 September 2021.
Taliban return to power
In just over a month, the Taliban sweep across Afghanistan, taking control of towns and cities all over the country, including Kabul. Afghan security forces collapse in the face of the Taliban advance.
- Published8 July 2021
- Published6 July 2021
- Published8 July 2021
