Patel expresses ‘great pride’ in Afghanistan evacuation effort

Interior Minister Priti Patel has expressed her “great pride” over the government’s controversial evacuation following the fall of Kabul to the Taliban.

In a video to mark the first anniversary of Operation Pitting, Ms Patel described the UK’s effort as “seismic” and a testament to the country’s “relationship of trust” with those in need. Afghanistan helped UK forces.

Her praise comes despite a scathing report earlier this year by MPs, which described chaotic efforts to bring in UK citizens and local staff who have worked with their departure from the country was a “disaster” and the “betrayal” of the allies would harm British interests for years to come.

The Inter-Party Foreign Affairs Committee criticized then-Secretary of State Dominic Raab and the highest-ranking State Department civil servant for not returning from their vacation to take charge when the Afghan government collapsed in the face of progress. Taliban.

It is said that hasty efforts to select individuals for the evacuation were “less creative, management and staff”, leading to “confusion and false hope” among the Afghan partners. longing to be rescued.

It said British soldiers and civil servants, who had worked hard to get as many people out as possible, had been “utterly let down” by “profound failures of leadership” in the government. government.

However, none of that was reflected in Ms Patel’s comments made by the Home Office before the video was posted on social media.

In it, she said: “Op Pitting is the largest evacuation we have been involved in since the Second World War. It was an earthquake.

“The UK should feel very proud of what it has done to support the people in Afghanistan.

“It totally demonstrates our commitment to humanity and doing the right thing for those fleeing persecution and persecution.

“We have a relationship of trust with the people of Afghanistan, who have stood with us and we will be with them.”

Ms Patel said that 21,000 people had been brought to the UK from Afghanistan, including 15,000 directly evacuated through Operation Pitting, and another 5,000 arriving afterwards.

She said Border Force officers who have worked alongside British troops handling Afghans seeking to reach the UK will be given a special commemorative award.

“Not many of us slept during Operation Pitting, that was 24/7.

“Our teams at the Home Office are brilliant – we all know the responsibility we have shared and the responsibility we have to ensure to protect lives,” she said.

“It was an incredibly proud moment.

“Mainly because I was very clear, about the security approaches we have to take, the protection methods we have to take, all the important things.”