Defence Ministry rejects calls for UK inquiry into Afghanistan campaign

The Ministry of Defence has been criticised for refusing to carry out a “no-holds barred” inquiry into British involvement in Afghanistan including evacuation operations carried out as the Taliban retook power.

The review demanded by MPs would have only “limited” value while consuming “considerable” resources, the ministry said.

The “frustrating” refusal will prevent lessons being learnt, Defence Committee chairman Tobias Ellwood said, as he argued delays had been seen in the ongoing Sudan evacuation.

The cross-party group of MPs he leads called for an inquiry to be carried out into the 20-year deployment of troops in Afghanistan following the 9/11 terror attacks.

They wanted this to include the airlifts that rescued 15,000 people at risk from the Taliban storming back to power, but which left many behind.

The government responded to the committee by saying: “The MoD assesses that the value of a further wide-ranging review of the totality of the Afghanistan campaign is limited, would absorb considerable resource and does not coincide with the now-published Integrated Review.”

Mr Ellwood said it was clear that both the UK Parliament and the government are “equally dismayed and disheartened by the tragic outcome in Afghanistan”.

“However, it is frustrating that the government has not agreed to a no-holds barred review of the UK’s involvement in Afghanistan, as was recommended by the Defence Committee,” he said.

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The Tory MP said that without a public inquiry, the country will not learn from the “dark chapter in UK military history”.

“While there are significant differences between the fall of Afghanistan to the Taliban and the current crisis in Sudan, it is disappointing that it appears to have taken the UK longer than our allies to get vulnerable citizens to safety,” he added.

“Refusing to engage in a stand-alone review of the Afghanistan campaign prevents lessons from being consolidated and put into action for future risks.”

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