As another American-led "forever war" approaches an ending in Afghanistan, it is sobering to ponder what all the blood and treasure was for if, as seems likely, the Taliban returns to power. After the fall of Saigon in April 1975, Americans had 58,000 reasons to ask why their sons had died fighting a losing war against communist North Vietnam (although with three million deaths, Vietnam as a whole suffered far more).
But it is striking to contrast how the US treated its former allies in South Vietnam with what the US and Nato are so far offering to do for those it will be leaving behind in Afghanistan.
In the year after Saigon, capital of the former state of South Vietnam, was captured, 125,000 refugees were admitted to the US. It wasn’t popular – 49 per cent of Americans were opposed to their coming, as opposed to 37 per cent who welcomed them. But by the end of May 1975, then president Gerald Ford had signed the Indochina Migration and Refugee Act, which allocated more than $400 million to help resettle the refugees from Vietnam, who were given special permission to come to America. This initial group was made up largely of South Vietnamese elite groups, those associated with the government, with American personnel, and the wealthy who knew their riches would be expropriated by the incoming communists.
Former US presidents Jimmy Carter, standing, and Gerald Ford, seated behind Carter, welcomed thousands of Vietnamese refugees. Getty Images
A second wave started arriving later in the 70s and early 80s – the so-called "boat people" who risked everything to escape misery, persecution and "re-education camps". In 1979, then president Jimmy Carter doubled the quota of refugees from Vietnam and Cambodia allowed to come to the US every month from 7,000 to 14,000. As Thu-Huong Ha, an American journalist whose parents were Vietnamese refugees, put it: "A poll from CBS and The New York Times showed that 62 per cent of Americans disapproved. He did it anyway."
Later agreements saw more people coming to the US, including “Amerasians”, children US citizens had had with Vietnamese women. By 1996, 700,000 refugees from Vietnam called the US home, and today there are more than two million people of Vietnamese descent in the country.
The US decision to back France in its attempts to regain control of its colonial possessions in Indochina – which terminated in the French defeat at Dien Bien Phu by Ho Chi Minh’s People’s Army in 1954 – was quixotic enough, given American opposition to the continuation of European imperial rule after the Second World War. Washington’s subsequent financial and military support of a corrupt and dictatorial regime in South Vietnam ended, as we know, disastrously; although it may have been a folly all along, as the degree to which Ho was first and foremost a nationalist and only secondly a communist was persistently ignored.
Either way, in its acceptance of so many people from Vietnam, a country into whose affairs the US had intruded for so long, America lived up to its highest ideals. Even in a population of 270 million – as the US was in 1996 – 700,000 refugees was a very considerable number.
By the 1990s, 700,000 refugees from Vietnam called the US home, and today there are more than two million people of Vietnamese descent in the country. Getty Images
Members of the Nguyen Van Toan family, which arrived in Denver in 1975, pose behind a photo taken of the same group 10 years earlier. Getty Images
Compare that with Afghanistan today, and plenty of the rhetoric is reassuring. "We recognise that there are a significant amount of Afghans that supported the United States and supported the coalition, and that they could be at risk," said General Mark Milley, chair of the US joint chiefs of staff, in a statement last Thursday. "A very important task is to ensure that we remain faithful to them, and that we do what is necessary to ensure their protection and, if necessary, get them out of the country if that is what they want to do." The UK government has also announced plans to accelerate applications from Afghans who wish to relocate to Britain because they might be "at risk of reprisals" from the Taliban, as Defence Secretary Ben Wallace put it.
Although other Afghans have emigrated to Europe and North America over the years, the numbers currently being talked about are of a different order from Vietnam entirely. The BBC reports that 18,000 Afghan nationals have applied for US visas under the scheme, but that some have been waiting for years. In the case of the UK, 3,000 more people are expected to be allowed to arrive, on top of 1,300 so far – and in both countries the emphasis has mainly been on interpreters. Even then, bureaucratic obstacles have unjustly denied individuals permission to relocate.
One Afghan interpreter who was praised for his “hard work and dedication” by his commanding officer was later refused because he had been dismissed for minor reasons including “smoking in your accommodation”. A father of three, this man told the BBC that he had received three letters with death threats from the Taliban. "I know that they know who I am," he said. "And it's making me sick."
Afghan security officials present arrested members of the Taliban in Ghazni last week. The Taliban has been in rebuilding mode across the country. EPA
Intervening has consequences, no matter how good the intentions
This is disgraceful. Taliban rule was barbaric and medieval, and I certainly didn't mourn its departure when it was forced out in 2001 by the US-led coalition and the Northern Alliance. But the fact of the matter is that it was in power then, and it may soon be in power again. The difference is that in the years between, the western intervention has made thousands, if not tens of thousands, of Afghans "compromised" by their association with the US, Nato, foreign NGOs and a government the Taliban always viewed as an American puppet. This extends way, way beyond interpreters.
Intervening has consequences, no matter how good the intentions. And those consequences include a huge number of Afghans fearing shortly for their security, their freedoms, and in many cases their lives.
I believe that the western interventions in Vietnam and Afghanistan were both wrong. In the first instance, however, America did much to make good the obligations that came with its war. In the case of Afghanistan, the West’s preparations to help its erstwhile allies look so paltry that ordinary Afghans may justly curse the day their “friends” turned up to remake a country, only to leave after yet another failed exercise in nation-building.
Sholto Byrnes is an East Asian affairs columnist for The National
Total fights: 32 Wins: 28 Wins by KO: 26 Losses: 4
What sanctions would be reimposed?
Under ‘snapback’, measures imposed on Iran by the UN Security Council in six resolutions would be restored, including:
An arms embargo
A ban on uranium enrichment and reprocessing
A ban on launches and other activities with ballistic missiles capable of delivering nuclear weapons, as well as ballistic missile technology transfer and technical assistance
A targeted global asset freeze and travel ban on Iranian individuals and entities
Authorisation for countries to inspect Iran Air Cargo and Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines cargoes for banned goods
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Why are asylum seekers being housed in hotels?
The number of asylum applications in the UK has reached a new record high, driven by those illegally entering the country in small boats crossing the English Channel.
A total of 111,084 people applied for asylum in the UK in the year to June 2025, the highest number for any 12-month period since current records began in 2001.
Asylum seekers and their families can be housed in temporary accommodation while their claim is assessed.
The Home Office provides the accommodation, meaning asylum seekers cannot choose where they live.
When there is not enough housing, the Home Office can move people to hotels or large sites like former military bases.
New process leads to panic among jobseekers
As a UAE-based travel agent who processes tourist visas from the Philippines, Jennifer Pacia Gado is fielding a lot of calls from concerned travellers just now. And they are all asking the same question.
“My clients are mostly Filipinos, and they [all want to know] about good conduct certificates,” says the 34-year-old Filipina, who has lived in the UAE for five years.
Ms Gado contacted the Philippines Embassy to get more information on the certificate so she can share it with her clients. She says many are worried about the process and associated costs – which could be as high as Dh500 to obtain and attest a good conduct certificate from the Philippines for jobseekers already living in the UAE.
“They are worried about this because when they arrive here without the NBI [National Bureau of Investigation] clearance, it is a hassle because it takes time,” she says.
“They need to go first to the embassy to apply for the application of the NBI clearance. After that they have go to the police station [in the UAE] for the fingerprints. And then they will apply for the special power of attorney so that someone can finish the process in the Philippines. So it is a long process and more expensive if you are doing it from here.”
Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
Premier League-standard football pitch
400m Olympic running track
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600-seat auditorium
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Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
DMZ facts
The DMZ was created as a buffer after the 1950-53 Korean War.
It runs 248 kilometers across the Korean Peninsula and is 4km wide.
The zone is jointly overseen by the US-led United Nations Command and North Korea.
It is littered with an estimated 2 million mines, tank traps, razor wire fences and guard posts.
Donald Trump and Kim Jong-Un met at a building in Panmunjom, where an armistice was signed to stop the Korean War.
Panmunjom is 52km north of the Korean capital Seoul and 147km south of Pyongyang, North Korea’s capital.
Former US president Bill Clinton visited Panmunjom in 1993, while Ronald Reagan visited the DMZ in 1983, George W. Bush in 2002 and Barack Obama visited a nearby military camp in 2012.
Mr Trump planned to visit in November 2017, but heavy fog that prevented his helicopter from landing.
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Ethan Nwaneri (Arsenal) 15 years, 181 days old
Max Dowman (Arsenal) 15 years, 235 days old
Jeremy Monga (Leicester) 15 years, 271 days old
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Under the UK government’s proposals, migrants will have to spend 10 years in the UK before being able to apply for citizenship.
Skilled worker visas will require a university degree, and there will be tighter restrictions on recruitment for jobs with skills shortages.
But what are described as "high-contributing" individuals such as doctors and nurses could be fast-tracked through the system.
Language requirements will be increased for all immigration routes to ensure a higher level of English.
Rules will also be laid out for adult dependants, meaning they will have to demonstrate a basic understanding of the language.
The plans also call for stricter tests for colleges and universities offering places to foreign students and a reduction in the time graduates can remain in the UK after their studies from two years to 18 months.
Insurance coverage for optical, dental, alternative medicine, cancer screening
Financial well-being incentives
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The biog
Name: Salvador Toriano Jr
Age: 59
From: Laguna, The Philippines
Favourite dish: Seabass or Fish and Chips
Hobbies: When he’s not in the restaurant, he still likes to cook, along with walking and meeting up with friends.
Smart words at Make Smart Cool
Make Smart Cool is not your usual festival. Dubbed “edutainment” by organisers Najahi Events, Make Smart Cool aims to inspire its youthful target audience through a mix of interactive presentation by social media influencers and a concert finale featuring Example with DJ Wire. Here are some of the speakers sharing their inspiration and experiences on the night. Prince Ea
With his social media videos accumulating more half a billion views, the American motivational speaker is hot on the college circuit in the US, with talks that focus on the many ways to generate passion and motivation when it comes to learning. Khalid Al Ameri
The Emirati columnist and presenter is much loved by local youth, with writings and presentations about education, entrepreneurship and family balance. His lectures on career and personal development are sought after by the education and business sector. Ben Ouattara
Born to an Ivorian father and German mother, the Dubai-based fitness instructor and motivational speaker is all about conquering fears and insecurities. His talk focuses on the need to gain emotional and physical fitness when facing life’s challenges. As well managing his film production company, Ouattara is one of the official ambassadors of Dubai Expo2020.
Indoor Cricket World Cup Dubai 2017
Venue Insportz, Dubai; Admission Free
Day 1 fixtures (Saturday)
Men 1.45pm, Malaysia v Australia (Court 1); Singapore v India (Court 2); UAE v New Zealand (Court 3); South Africa v Sri Lanka (Court 4)
Women Noon, New Zealand v South Africa (Court 3); England v UAE (Court 4); 5.15pm, Australia v UAE (Court 3); England v New Zealand (Court 4)
