Boris Johnson said of the withdrawal of the last British forces from Afghanistan that 3.6 million Afghan girls are now in school and women hold over a quarter of the seats in the parliament (Report, 9 July). Yes, but for how long? He said that we are safer because of everything the armed forces of Britain and many other countries have done. But many Afghans are no safer. We are, he said, not about to turn away. So how will we support Afghans if the Taliban retake Kabul?
I write as a doctor who has travelled many times to Afghanistan. Many of us in the UK share the great concerns of our Afghan colleagues: if this accelerated withdrawal is pursued without adequate military support from outside the country to the Afghan armed forces, there is a strong probability that the Taliban will prevail and much of the gains of the last 20 years will be lost. Even at this stage, we should take steps to prevent a hurried departure from turning into a catastrophe comparable to the US departure from Saigon.
Stewart Britten
Exeter
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