Britain: The Will of the West has Become Weak
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The British Ministry of Defense confirms that the repercussions of the American withdrawal from Afghanistan mean the will of the west has been weakened by major enemies such as Russia.
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Britain: The Will of the West has Become Weak
British Defense Secretary Ben Wallace has warned that the outcome of Afghanistan after a 20-year US-led war may lead Western rivals such as Russia to misinterpret the West's resolve.
Wallace divulged to the BBC that it's "something we should all worry about: if the West is seen not to have the resolve and it fractures, then our adversaries like Russia find that encouraging."
Days ago, Wallace described the return of the Taliban to power in Afghanistan as an international community failure.
Wallace also emphasized that the British commitment in Afghanistan and the lives of 457 soldiers that were lost were not in vain, adding in an interview with Sky News that it is not the correct timing to recognize the Taliban as the official government.
On Wednesday, British PM Boris Johnson welcomed Afghans to live safely in Britain, stressing that his country has a prolonged commitment to the Afghan people.
Coincidingly, British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab, revealed that he and his US counterpart Anthony Blinken addressed the importance of international collaboration in order to prevent terrorist organizations from using Afghanistan as a base.
The United Kingdom had deployed 600 troops to Afghanistan to secure the evacuation of its nationals and embassy staff, and the first flight arrived in England's Royal Air Force Brize Norton base.
Britain has lost 457 soldiers in Afghanistan, 13% of the 3,500 international military coalition deaths since 2001.
According to Brown University's Cost of War Project, 241,000 people have died as a direct result of the war. They estimate that the Afghan war has cost the US $2.26 trillion.
It is significant that the British Empire has previously been humiliated in Afghanistan, during the Anglo-Afghan War from 1839 to 1842, however in 001 after the September 11 attacks on the US, former Prime Minister Tony Blair joined George W. Bush in the Afghanistan invasion to overthrow the Taliban.
