Boris Johnson vows to rescue British nationals as Afghanistan crumbles.
Boris Johnson has vowed to get as many as possible of the Afghans who worked with the UK out of the country as the Taliban stood poised to take control of the capital Kabul.
Boris Johnson has vowed to get as many as possible of the Afghans who worked with the UK out of the country as the Taliban stood poised to take control of the capital Kabul.
With President Ashraf Ghani fled, and insurgent fighters surrounding the capital, the Prime Minister said the situation was “extremely difficult”.
After chairing a meeting of the Government’s Cobra contingencies committee he said the UK was determined to work with allies to prevent the country again becoming a “breeding ground for terror”.
However he faced a backlash from MPs who said the West had been humiliated by insurgents armed with just basic weaponry.
MPs are expected to to vent their anger and frustration when they return to Westminster on Wednesday for an emergency recall of Parliament to discuss the crisis.
In the meantime, Mr Johnson said the Government’s priority was to assist the remaining British nationals as well as those Afghans who had helped the UK.
He said the British ambassador Sir Laurie Bristow had been at Kabul airport helping to process the applications of those seeking to leave.
“Our priority is to make sure that we deliver on our obligations to UK nationals in Afghanistan, to all those who helped the British effort in Afghanistan over 20 years, and to get them out as fast we can,” he said.
“We are going to get as many as we can out in the next few days.”
Published: by Radio NewsHub