The Kabul Tribune (KT) — British Member of Parliament Matt Western has strongly
criticized former U.S. President Donald Trump’s comments dismissing NATO
troops’ role in Afghanistan, calling them disrespectful and deeply inaccurate,
the Leamington Observer reported.
In a newspaper column, Western said he was “utterly
appalled” by Trump’s suggestion that NATO forces stayed away from the front
lines in Afghanistan, stressing that 457 British service personnel were killed
during the conflict while serving alongside U.S. forces.
“To say that our troops stayed ‘a little off the front
lines’ is beyond disrespectful and deeply untrue,” Western wrote, adding that
British soldiers answered the United States’ call after the Sept. 11, 2001
attacks, when NATO invoked Article 5 for the first and only time in its
history.
Western echoed remarks by the UK prime minister, who
described Trump’s comments as “insulting and frankly appalling,” and said Trump
should apologize to the families of British veterans killed in Afghanistan.
The MP highlighted the sacrifices made by British troops,
naming several soldiers who lost their lives in Afghanistan and have streets
named after them near Europa Way, and emphasized that their bravery and service
must be remembered and respected.
According to the Leamington Observer, Western said Trump’s
remarks caused pain to the families of fallen soldiers, quoting the mother of a
soldier killed in Afghanistan as saying the comments “pick the scab off wounds
that never healed.”
Western concluded by paying tribute to all British service
personnel who served in Afghanistan, those who lost their lives, and those who
continue to serve, saying their courage and sacrifice deserve lasting respect.
