Prince Harry hits out at Trump over false claims on British troops in Afghanistan
Prince Harry has lashed out at Donald Trump over the US president’s false claims against British troops fighting in Afghanistan.
The Duke of Sussex, a former Army Air Force co-pilot gunner who served two front-line tours in Afghanistan, said the “sacrifice” of Britons who fought and died in the country “deserves to be talked about accurately and respectfully”.
Harry joined veterans and politicians from across the political spectrum in denouncing Trump’s false claims that allies were staying away from the front lines of the conflict; Sir Keir Starmer has previously described them as “appalling”.
In a statement published on Friday afternoon, the Duke said: “In 2001, NATO invoked Article 5 for the first and only time in history. This meant that every allied country had to stand with the United States in Afghanistan for our common security. Allies answered the call.”
“I served there. I made lifelong friends there and I lost friends there.
“457 service personnel were killed in the UK alone.
“Thousands of lives were changed forever. Mothers and fathers buried their sons and daughters. Children were left fatherless. Families bore the price.
“These sacrifices deserve to be talked about honestly and respectfully, as we all remain united and remain committed to diplomacy and the defense of peace.”
His criticism came after the prime minister demanded an apology from Trump for the “insulting and frankly appalling” allegations.
The US president claimed in an interview with Fox News that NATO-allied troops were “standing a little bit off the front lines” in Afghanistan.
He also claimed that America “never needed” its NATO partners, despite being the only member state to implement the alliance’s “all for one, one for all” clause in the wake of 9/11.
He further angered NATO allies by claiming that he was not sure the alliance “will be there if we need it”.
Responding to Trump’s comments, Sir Keir said: “I think President Trump’s words were insulting and frankly appalling and I am not surprised they caused such harm to the loved ones of those killed or injured.”
More to follow…
