The withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan was an act of “strategic self-harm” that will “fuel” terrorism worldwide, former national security adviser Lord Sedwill has warned.
A former ambassador to Kabul, the peer also said the move led by the US would empower the West’s “authoritarian adversaries”.
Lord Sedwill, who was the UK’s top civil servant until last year, warned that “security threats have undoubtedly gone up” since the Taliban took over as foreign forces departed.
“This is, in my view, a bad policy, badly implemented. It is an act of strategic self-harm,” he told an event hosted by the Policy Exchange think tank.
“The Taliban’s victory in Afghanistan will undoubtedly fuel extremism and terrorism worldwide whether or not it is directed from there.”
Lord Sedwill also aimed criticism at the US for not seeing its mission in Afghanistan, which lasted two decades, through to the end.
“If you are one of our authoritarian adversaries, you will be right now going around the rest of the world to those countries that are in play and saying to them, ‘You see, we told you so, we have the strategic patience and they don’t’,” he said.
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