The Western debacle in Afghanistan has sparked a passionate and existential debate in the UK that does not seem to be over. What good is the famous “special relationship” cultivated by London with Washington since the post-World War II era if it is to be confronted with a fait accompli by Joe Biden, like other Western capitals, question the media, experts and politicians national? And what future for this “Global Britain” promised by Boris Johnson after Brexit, when the United Kingdom is reduced to begging the White House to extend the total withdrawal of its troops beyond August 31?
The Prime Minister hopes to regain control, Tuesday, August 24, by chairing an extraordinary meeting of the G7 devoted to Afghanistan, in order to obtain from Washington this extension beyond August 31 of the presence of American troops in Kabul. Finally, during this meeting, it is about ” to coordinate “ western evacuation operations. The country is one of the most embroiled in the chaotic airport rescue operations – nearly 6,000 people, including 3,100 Afghans, have already been evacuated by British forces since August 13, and 6,000 still remain at evacuate this week, according to the Times.
the Sunday Times on Sunday, August 22, the echo of unprecedented criticism of British officials against the US president. Ministerial sources, anonymous, told the Sunday newspaper sourly that Mr Biden would have taken more than twenty-four hours to respond to Mr Johnson, after he asked for a telephone interview at the end of last week.
Slogan “fool”
Gone are the days when Downing Street welcomed the fact that the first phone call from the Democratic President when he arrived at the White House went to the conservative Boris Johnson, despite the proximity between the latter and Donald Trump … London blames Mr. Biden for not having kept his commitments, according to the Bloomberg agency, which quotes memos from the British government. Mr Johnson reportedly received assurances from Washington in June that the Americans would maintain a sufficient presence in Afghanistan to secure Kabul and the Western embassies. “We continue to work closely with our American allies”, insisted a spokesperson for Downing Street on Monday 23 August, adding, however, that keeping British troops in Kabul to continue the evacuations once the American troops left “Is not a viable option”.
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