JOE Biden’s administration responded to criticism from former UK prime minister Tony Blair during a press conference last night.
The former Labour leader has been unhappy with the White House’s handling of the Afghanistan crisis, accusing the US government of “abandoning” the country and describing their withdrawal as “tragic, dangerous and unnecessary”.
He has said the UK has a “moral obligation” to stay in Afghanistan until “all those who need to be are evacuated”. Blair added that the “gains over the past 20 years” were likely to be lost amid the withdrawal and Taliban takeover.
Blair himself has come under fire for his comments given his role in the Afghanistan situation. He first sent British troops to the country 20 years ago.
READ MORE: Kevin McKenna: Jihadi Christianity of Tony Blair prevents peace in Middle East
Questioned about Blair’s essay on the crisis, published by the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change, the president’s White House press secretary made clear how the government felt about Blair’s interventions.
Jen Psaki told reporters: “The president has been in touch directly with Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who is the current leader of the UK.”
Last night Biden ruled out calls from Johnson to extend the August 31 exit date from Afghanistan, explaining that there is a security risk to troops there.
The US president said staying longer would raise the risk of attack by so-called Islamic State (IS) affiliates and straining a “tenuous” working relationship with the Taliban.
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel