Recommendations & Conclusions
10 items
1
Conclusion
Fifth Report - Withdrawal from Afghanis…
Acknowledged
The signing of the Doha Agreement served domestic US Administration priorities, by enabling the withdrawal of US forces from Afghanistan to a defined schedule. The absence of the United Kingdom, other allies and the Afghan Government from the negotiating table was unfortunate, although it is unclear whether the United Kingdom …
Government response. The government acknowledges that US negotiations were bilateral, UK influence was limited, and that the UK advocated for a continued presence while noting the increasing chance of a collapse at some point.
Ministry of Defence
2
Conclusion
Fifth Report - Withdrawal from Afghanis…
Acknowledged
Although the Defence Secretary assured us that he had attempted to find a way to retain a military presence in Afghanistan without the US, we recognise how difficult this would have been in practice. This shows the limits of NATO’s military capability without US involvement.
Government response. The government acknowledges that US negotiations were bilateral, UK influence was limited, and that the UK advocated for a continued presence while noting the increasing chance of a collapse at some point.
Ministry of Defence
3
Conclusion
Fifth Report - Withdrawal from Afghanis…
Acknowledged
Optimism bias and failures in intelligence and analysis meant that the rapid collapse of the Afghan Government was a greater surprise to the military establishment than it might have been.
Government response. The government acknowledges the committee's conclusion and states that the UK's influence on the decision to withdraw was limited by the US-led process, but the UK made its concerns clear and advocated for a continued presence. The government also requested …
Ministry of Defence
4
Conclusion
Fifth Report - Withdrawal from Afghanis…
Acknowledged
If the initial goal of the NATO deployment was mainly to prevent terrorist attacks against Western nations originating in Afghanistan, current evidence suggests that while there have been no such recent attacks to date, Afghanistan is once again becoming a safe haven for international terrorism. And it is impossible to …
Government response. The government acknowledges the adverse impact on regional security and states that it had actively worked to avoid a full withdrawal, while noting the improvements made during the 20-year campaign and ongoing monitoring of the security situation.
Ministry of Defence
5
Conclusion
Fifth Report - Withdrawal from Afghanis…
Acknowledged
Technically, NATO forces were not defeated in Afghanistan. However, this must not prevent the recognition that the end of the NATO mission has been severely detrimental both to the people of Afghanistan and to the security of the region, as well as to Alliance and UK military credibility. (Paragraph 36) …
Government response. The government agrees that the fall of Kabul had an adverse impact on regional security, and the MOD and FCDO are actively monitoring the security situation in Afghanistan and neighboring Pakistan.
Ministry of Defence
6
Conclusion
Fifth Report - Withdrawal from Afghanis…
Acknowledged
We welcome the award of medals to Armed Forces personnel who served on Operation PITTING, and recognise the success of the military operation element of the evacuation from Afghanistan—though this must not mask the wider context that the operation was only necessary because of the Taliban’s advances following the end …
Government response. The government welcomes the recognition of the military's success in the evacuation and the medallic recognition for personnel involved, while noting that the Taliban advance was expected but the timing was hard to gauge.
Ministry of Defence
7
Conclusion
Fifth Report - Withdrawal from Afghanis…
Acknowledged
The same praise, however, cannot be given to the efforts of the UK Government’s civilian operations in support of the evacuation. Our colleagues on the Foreign Affairs Committee have taken extensive evidence and reached persuasive findings in these areas. While it was never going to be possible to evacuate everyone …
Government response. The government acknowledges the committee's reflection on supporting civilians during the Afghanistan withdrawal and offers observations about the ARAP process, highlighting constraints and challenges faced during the operation.
Ministry of Defence
8
Recommendation
Fifth Report - Withdrawal from Afghanis…
Accepted
We recognise the ongoing efforts of the UK Government and of organisations including the Afghan Solidarity Coalition and the Sulha Alliance to evacuate eligible Afghans remaining in Afghanistan or in third countries. It is concerning, however, that, according to the MOD’s own estimates, several thousand eligible Afghans— whose safety is …
Government response. The government outlines ongoing efforts to relocate ARAP-eligible Afghans, stating over 12,200 have been relocated, fewer than 620 remain inside Afghanistan, and they are committed to finding and relocating them and their families.
Ministry of Defence
9
Recommendation
Fifth Report - Withdrawal from Afghanis…
Accepted
The withdrawal from Afghanistan and end of the UK’s twenty-year military involvement in the country has understandably had a negative impact on veterans’ mental health. This has increased demand on services provided by organisations such as Combat Stress and Help for Heroes as well as the NHS. The announcement of …
Government response. The government describes existing support for veteran mental health, including NHS services, charitable partnerships, and funding through Op COURAGE and the Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust, and states it remains open to further engagement and collaboration across the charity sector.
Ministry of Defence
10
Recommendation
Fifth Report - Withdrawal from Afghanis…
Accepted
The UK contribution to the war in Afghanistan took the lives of 457 UK armed forces personnel and injured thousands more, and cost more than £27 billion. The evacuation from Afghanistan in August 2021 resulted in 15,000 people being brought to the UK but left many behind. It is therefore …
Government response. The government states that it already conducts numerous reviews and has an active lessons process, and that the value of a further wide-ranging review is limited and doesn't coincide with the Integrated Review (Refresh).
Ministry of Defence