Select committee: Defence Committee
Conclusion 1
Fifth Report - Withdrawal from Afghanistan
Published 10 Feb 2023
Paragraph 19
Addressed to Ministry of Defence
Defence Committee Withdrawal from Afghanistan All items in this report Report on parliament.uk ↗ Inquiry on parliament.uk ↗
Conclusion (the committee's words)
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 made any request to be included. The agreement emboldened the Taliban and gave it a timeframe in which to plan its future operations. The Afghan National Security and Defence Forces had become reliant under Western tutelage on air support and logistics contractors to operate effectively. Their withdrawal made the subsequent collapse of the Afghan Government inevitable.
From: Defence Committee, Fifth Report - Withdrawal from Afghanistan (HC 725), paragraph 19, 10 February 2023
Government response
The government responded to the whole report on 28 April 2023 (deadline 10 April 2023).
Summary written by Accountability Index from the government's response. It is not the government's own words.The government's response gives a mixed position: it agrees on the importance of reviewing operations and that the fall of Kabul harmed regional security, but assesses that a further wide-ranging review of the Afghanistan campaign has limited value.
- On the Doha Agreement and the fall of the Afghan Government, the MOD "agrees that the fall of Kabul has had an adverse impact on regional security", adding that this was not an outcome it wished for.
- On the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy (ARAP), the government notes the Committee's reflections and offers observations, including that the policy was amended to support those who had fled to third countries. It says it is "committed to finding and relocating" the estimated fewer than 620 eligible Afghans remaining inside Afghanistan, and their family members.
- On veterans' mental health, it recognises that the withdrawal had a negative impact on some veterans. It says it "remains open to further engagement and collaboration across the charity sector" and that NHS England will launch a single integrated Op COURAGE service from April 2023.
- On a review of the UK's involvement, it agrees it is "vitally important" to conduct honest, timely and accurate reviews of operations, but assesses that the value of a further wide-ranging review of the whole campaign "is limited".