Trump’s jibe at UK soldiers in Afghanistan ‘deeply disappointing’, says UK minister
A UK minister said Donald Trump’s claim that NATO troops were staying away from the front line in Afghanistan was “deeply disappointing” and “unwise”, as veteran combatants were outraged by the US president’s comments.
Mr Trump drew condemnation from across the political spectrum after making comments on Thursday in which he said he was not sure the alliance “will be there if we need it”.
About 1,186 non-American NATO soldiers died in the conflict that began in 2001, according to Help for Heroes. More than 2,300 members of the US armed forces were killed.
But Mr Trump told Fox News: “They’ll say they sent some troops to Afghanistan… and they did, they stayed back a little bit, a little bit away from the front lines.”
Politicians and British veterans alike rejected the US president’s comments; A government minister said the allegations were “clearly false”.
Care minister Stephen Kinnock told Sky News on Friday morning: “That doesn’t quite square with what he said, because the fact of the matter is that the only place Article 5 applied was to come to the aid of the United States after 9/11.”
“And many British soldiers, and many soldiers from other European NATO allies, gave their lives supporting American missions, American-led missions, in places like Afghanistan and Iraq.”
“I am incredibly proud of our armed forces. They risk their lives for our country. They are the definition of honor, valor and patriotism.
Describing British forces as the “definition of honour, valor and patriotism”, Mr Kinnock said: “I think anyone who tries to criticize what they do and the sacrifices they make is clearly wrong and I think the reaction to President Trump’s comments is very clear from across the political spectrum and I think the British public feel very strongly that we need to defend our armed forces and support them in the incredibly important work that they do in the dangerous and turbulent world that we live in.”
He added: “President Trump’s comments are extremely disappointing, there is no other way to say it.
“I really don’t know why he said those things. I don’t think there was any basis for him to make those comments.”
Sir Keir Starmer has not yet responded to the comments, but Mr Kinnock told BBC Breakfast that the prime minister “has absolutely no doubt that he will express his views very clearly and concisely” to Mr Trump on the issue.
America remains the only country to implement the collective security provisions of NATO’s Article 5, with the alliance providing support to the United States after the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001.
With 2,461 deaths in the conflicts in Afghanistan, Britain became the second country with the highest number of military deaths after the USA.
In total, America’s allies suffered 1,160 deaths in the conflict; this is approximately one-third of total coalition deaths.
Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey said: “Trump has avoided military service five times. How dare he question their sacrifice?”
Mr. Trump had previously been criticized for avoiding the draft to fight in Vietnam because he was diagnosed with bone spurs in his heels; This claim was subject to serious doubts.
Conservative MP Ben Obese-Jecty, who served as a captain in the Royal Yorkshire Regiment in Afghanistan, said it was “sad to see the sacrifices of our nation and our NATO partners retained so cheaply by the US president”.
He said: “I saw first-hand the sacrifices made by the British soldiers I served with at Sangin, where we suffered terrible casualties, as did the US Marines the following year.
“I do not believe US military personnel share President Trump’s views; his words harm them as our closest military allies.”
Labor MP and former RAF officer Calvin Bailey, who served with US special operations units in Afghanistan, told the Press Association that Mr Trump’s claim “bears no resemblance to the reality experienced by those of us serving there”.
