John Baron MP: Both sides wrong in Afghanistan withdrawal debate

MP criticises Labour and Conservatives

Yesterday the Opposition led a debate on whether to set up a new Committee to investigate the circumstances of Britain’s withdrawal from Afghanistan. John Baron MP abstained in this debate because existing Select Committees are already doing much of this work, and because Labour and Conservative governments alike oversaw the Afghan intervention.

John said,

“As the only Conservative MP to oppose the Afghan nation-building intervention post-2001, and to vote against it when we were finally able to do so, I am critical of both Labour and Conservatives. It was Labour who led us into an ill-thought through and costly intervention, and the Conservatives who were party to a shambolic withdrawal.”

“Having supported the initial limited, well-resourced and successful mission in 2001 to rid the country of al-Qaeda, the mistake was allowing the mission to morph into one of nation-building. It is now generally accepted that it is wrong to drop democracy from 40,000 feet. The mission was borne of ignorance and was poorly-resourced and at times incompetently-handled – sending a Brigade minus to Helmand instead of a Division was a dereliction of duty.”

“Even the withdrawal was a shambles. The collapse of the Afghan forces should not have taken the whole world by surprise. For example, the sudden removal of US support to the Afghan air force meant at a stroke there was little or no combat evacuation, logistic support or maintenance capability. US troops sneaking out at the dead of night also did not help.”