The mother of a 22-year-old soldier killed in Afghanistan has said she believes her son died in vain because of how the Taliban have re-seized control of the country.
Sean Binnie was tragically shot dead by a gunman hiding in a doorway while he tried to save his comrades during a firefight in Helmand in 2009.
His mum Janette Binnie, 52, has now slammed the government for "betraying her son in life and death".
The devastated mum said she suffered from nightmares on Sunday night after watching in horror how insurgents took over the capital of Kabul.
She told the Daily Record the collapse of the Afghan regime left her feeling like her son’s sacrifice had been “pointless”.
Janette said: “My son has been betrayed in life and in death and he’s not the only one.
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“To the government, my son and the rest who died are just a number.
“But behind these fallen soldiers are parents. We're totally devastated.
“I never used to think Sean died in vain; he was helping others and fighting for his Queen and country. Now I think he has.
“What was the point? Why did he have to die? It was pointless.”
Janette said she suffered nightmares when she learned that Taliban fighters were back in control of Afghanistan following the withdrawal of Western forces.
The mum, who lives with Sean’s father, Allan, 54, added: “What’s happening out there is catastrophic.
“I had nightmares last night after finding out, taking me back to finding out Sean had died.
“We are totally dismayed by it all.”
Sean, of Kirkcaldy, Fife, signed up when he was 16. The charismatic youngster served in Iraq and the Falklands before being posted to Afghanistan in March 2009.
Weeks later he was dead.
Janette said: “The heartache is still there over ten years on
“You learn to get on with your life but, really, we were forgotten about.
“And now this has happened, I think that we’ll be forgotten about again.
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“We’ll never not be proud of Sean for his efforts and fighting for this country. But now I would ask a politician why he died for no reason?
“This decision will have a huge ripple and domino effect on families of soldiers who died.
“People are struggling to cope as it is with the loss, now we have this.”
At least five people have reportedly died at Kabul Airport as thousands scrambled to catch flights out of the country, including British Nationals.
Former National Security Advisor Lord Sedwill said it was a “humiliating moment for the West”.
