Source · Select Committees · Defence Committee
Recommendation 4
4
Acknowledged
Paragraph: 35
If the initial goal of the NATO deployment was mainly to prevent terrorist attacks against...
Conclusion
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 argue that the mission has been a success if its goal was in part to ensure Afghanistan’s stability as a functioning state, with basic human rights for its population, including women and girls. The fall of the Afghan Government represented a serious strategic blow to NATO and its allies.
Government Response Summary
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.
Paragraph Reference:
35
Government Response
Acknowledged
HM Government
Acknowledged
The MOD agrees that the fall of Kabul has had an adverse impact on regional security. This was not an outcome HMG wished for and we had actively worked to avoid a full withdrawal. During the 20-year campaign no attacks were hosted from Afghanistan and the lives of countless Afghans improved across a broad spectrum of activities. The MOD and the FCDO are actively monitoring the security situation in Afghanistan and neighbouring Pakistan as closely as possible, drawing on a range of sources. The Evacuation and Relocation of Eligible Afghans