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UK troops leave Camp Bastion, but Afghanistan’s future is unclear UK troops leave Camp Bastion, but Afghanistan’s future is unclear
(about 5 hours later)
Two British soldiers lowered the union flag in Helmand province on Sunday, marking the end of British combat in Afghanistan. The ceremony, at the Camp Bastion-Leatherneck complex, officially brought to a close one of the longest and fiercest conflicts UK troops have been engaged in since the end of the second world war. The British death toll stands at 453.Two British soldiers lowered the union flag in Helmand province on Sunday, marking the end of British combat in Afghanistan. The ceremony, at the Camp Bastion-Leatherneck complex, officially brought to a close one of the longest and fiercest conflicts UK troops have been engaged in since the end of the second world war. The British death toll stands at 453.
Camp Bastion has been the UK’s main Afghanistan base since troops were deployed to Helmand in 2006 – the US had the adjacent Camp Leatherneck. At the height of the conflict, Bastion was a sprawling, noisy base; the hub for thousands of British and US soldiers coming and going for tours of duties in Helmand, a Taliban stronghold that saw the bloodiest fighting of the 13-year campaign. Camp Bastion has been the UK’s main Afghan base since troops were deployed to Helmand in 2006 – the US had the adjacent Camp Leatherneck.
At its peak, the British had 10,000 soldiers at Bastion and the surrounding area. Today, it is like a ghost town. At the ceremony, two US marines also brought down the stars and stripes, while a British-US pair pulled down a Nato flag. At the height of the conflict, Bastion was a sprawling, noisy base, the hub for thousands of British and US soldiers coming and going for tours of duty in Helmand, a Taliban stronghold that saw the bloodiest fighting of the 13-year campaign.
The British departure from Afghanistan has been marked by several ceremonies throughout the year, as equipment and troops began to depart. But this is the end. At its peak, the British had 10,000 soldiers at Bastion and the area around it. Today, it is like a ghost town. At the ceremony, two US marines also brought down the stars and stripes, while a British-US pair pulled down a Nato flag.
Camp Bastion was handed over to Afghan government forces after the flag-lowering ceremony. Only a few hundred British soldiers are left, waiting for flights home this week. A few hundred more will be in Kabul until next year to help with training, rather than fight. The British departure from Afghanistan has been marked by several ceremonies throughout the year as equipment and troops began to move out. But this is the end.
Camp Bastion was handed over to Afghan government forces after the flag-lowering ceremony. Only a few hundred British soldiers are left, waiting for flights home this week. A few hundred more will be in Kabul until next year, to help with training rather than fight.
Sgt Maj Robert Mansel, 37, from Swansea, of 1st The Queen’s Dragoon Guards, lost comrades in earlier tours and is relieved to be returning from this one without any casualties.Sgt Maj Robert Mansel, 37, from Swansea, of 1st The Queen’s Dragoon Guards, lost comrades in earlier tours and is relieved to be returning from this one without any casualties.
Coming back to Bastion felt strange, he said. “Bastion has always been a hub of activity. It is the first time I have done a tour in Bastion.” Coming back to the base felt strange, he said. “Bastion has always been a hub of activity. It is the first time I have done a tour in Bastion.”
He said whenever he returned to Bastion he had been “completely in awe of the lights and the noises and the sounds”. He said whenever he returned to the camp he had been “completely in awe of the lights and the noises and the sounds”.
“I was stood yesterday morning when they turned the last generator off where we were previously living and there was an eerie silence, which was a pretty strange feeling. Emotionally it was like waking up in a city and everyone has disappeared. Very strange feeling indeed.”“I was stood yesterday morning when they turned the last generator off where we were previously living and there was an eerie silence, which was a pretty strange feeling. Emotionally it was like waking up in a city and everyone has disappeared. Very strange feeling indeed.”
The first British soldiers arrived in Afghanistan in October 2001, a month after the al-Qaida attacks on New York and Washington. The first British soldiers were sent to Helmand in 2006. They were badly prepared. They were going into not only the Taliban heartland but one of the country’s biggest poppy-growing regions. Their intelligence was poor, they were outnumbered and their equipment was inadequate.The first British soldiers arrived in Afghanistan in October 2001, a month after the al-Qaida attacks on New York and Washington. The first British soldiers were sent to Helmand in 2006. They were badly prepared. They were going into not only the Taliban heartland but one of the country’s biggest poppy-growing regions. Their intelligence was poor, they were outnumbered and their equipment was inadequate.
Defence secretary Michael Fallon, interviewed on the BBC’s Andrew Marr programme on Sundayyesterday, said: “Mistakes were made militarily and mistakes were made by the politicians at the time. The defence secretary, Michael Fallon, interviewed on the BBC’s Andrew Marr programme on Sunday, said: “Mistakes were made militarily and mistakes were made by the politicians at the time.
Fallon added: Clearly the numbers were not there at the beginning, the equipment wasn’t quite good enough at the beginning and we have learned an awful lot from the campaign.”Fallon added: Clearly the numbers were not there at the beginning, the equipment wasn’t quite good enough at the beginning and we have learned an awful lot from the campaign.”
After more than a decade of warfare, the Taliban still control huge swaths of the countryside and have mounted deadly attacks in Kabul.After more than a decade of warfare, the Taliban still control huge swaths of the countryside and have mounted deadly attacks in Kabul.
Fallon, though, talked up what he claimed had been achievements. “We have now some six million people in school in Afghanistan, three million of them girls. There is access in Helmand to healthcare and to education in that province that simply did not exist 10 years ago.”Fallon, though, talked up what he claimed had been achievements. “We have now some six million people in school in Afghanistan, three million of them girls. There is access in Helmand to healthcare and to education in that province that simply did not exist 10 years ago.”
One of the big questions is whether the US, Britain and other members of the coalition are leaving too soon – to meet Barack Obama’s timetable rather than at a time when the country was more stable. Obama wanted to leave office saying he had ended US combat missions in Iraq and Afghanistan that he had inherited from George W Bush. One of the big questions is whether the US, Britain and other members of the coalition are leaving too soon – to meet Barack Obama’s timetable rather than at a time when the country is more stable. Obama wanted to leave office saying he had ended US combat missions in Iraq and Afghanistan that he had inherited from George W Bush.
But now the US is back in combat in Iraq, albeit fighting from the air rather than with any significant number of troops on the ground.But now the US is back in combat in Iraq, albeit fighting from the air rather than with any significant number of troops on the ground.
There are few senior British politicians, soldiers or diplomats prepared to make extravagant claims about Afghanistan’s stability, saying that at best the US, UK and the other coalition countries have given the government in Kabul a chance. There are few senior British politicians, soldiers or diplomats prepared to make extravagant claims about Afghanistan’s stability, saying that at best the US, the UK and the other coalition countries have given the government in Kabul a chance.
Fallon acknowledged as much, saying there was no guarantee Afghanistan would be stable and safe after the departure of coalition combat troops.Fallon acknowledged as much, saying there was no guarantee Afghanistan would be stable and safe after the departure of coalition combat troops.
“What we are saying to you is we have given Afghanistan the best possible chance of a safer future, primarily through the sacrifice of our own troops and other Nato troops in building up the Afghan army itself,” Fallon said. “What we are saying to you is we have given Afghanistan the best possible chance of a safer future, primarily through the sacrifice of our own troops and other Nato troops in building up the Afghan army itself,” he said.
Afghanistan began at a much lower point than Iraq in terms of development and infrastructure. When Saddam Hussein took over Iraq in 1979, it was a reasonably modern country, with a strong, professional, well-educated middle-class. Afghanistan did not come even close.Afghanistan began at a much lower point than Iraq in terms of development and infrastructure. When Saddam Hussein took over Iraq in 1979, it was a reasonably modern country, with a strong, professional, well-educated middle-class. Afghanistan did not come even close.
When British politicians, soldiers and diplomats speak in private about Afghanistan, they pile caveat upon caveat. They say Afghanistan may yet succeed if the government in Kabul makes a serious effort to tackle corruption, if the government engages with the Taliban in backdoor negotiations aimed at achieving a peace deal, and so on.When British politicians, soldiers and diplomats speak in private about Afghanistan, they pile caveat upon caveat. They say Afghanistan may yet succeed if the government in Kabul makes a serious effort to tackle corruption, if the government engages with the Taliban in backdoor negotiations aimed at achieving a peace deal, and so on.
But if Iraq with all its earlier advantages is now close to partition, with large chunks in the hands of Islamic State (Isis), what chance Afghanistan? But if Iraq, with all its earlier advantages, is now close to partition, with large chunks in the hands of Islamic State (Isis), what chance Afghanistan?
Brigadier Rob Thomson, the senior British officer in Helmand, who was at the handover ceremony, rejected comparisons between Iraq and Afghanistan.Brigadier Rob Thomson, the senior British officer in Helmand, who was at the handover ceremony, rejected comparisons between Iraq and Afghanistan.
Unlike Iraq, whose government asked the US to leave, the Afghanistan government has requested continued coalition help, providing training and advice to the ministry of defence and ministry of interior in Kabul and throughout the country. “It is not a cliff edge end here,” he said. “It is going to be a transition and I think that is really important. We have not seen any evidence of Isis in Helmand at all.” Unlike Iraq, whose government asked the US to leave, the Afghanistan government has requested continued coalition help, providing training and advice to the ministry of defence and ministry of interior in Kabul and throughout the country. “It is not a cliff-edge end here,” Thomson said. “It is going to be a transition and I think that is really important. We have not seen any evidence of Isis in Helmand at all.”
The British, US and other coalition forces have largely removed themselves from a combat role this year, leaving the fighting to the Afghanistan army. The British, US and other coalition forces have largely removed themselves from a combat role this year, leaving the fighting to the Afghan army.
One of the biggest failures for the UK is that it did not stem the cultivation of poppies for heroin production. The UK was given the specific responsibility for eradication of – or at least reduction – of the poppy crops and failed spectacularly. One of the biggest failures for the UK is that it did not stem the cultivation of poppies for heroin production. The UK was given specific responsibility for the eradication – or at least reduction – of the poppy crops and failed spectacularly.
The Taliban too have shown little sign of having been seriously damaged over the past 13 years. It has been mounting sustained attacks against the Afghan army in places in Helmand such as Sangin, where the British too had sustained heavy casualties. The Taliban too have shown little sign of having been seriously damaged over the past 13 years. They have been mounting sustained attacks against the Afghan army in places in Helmand such as Sangin, where the British too sustained heavy casualties.
The Afghanistan army has suffered even worse, losing 272 soldiers in Helmand since March this year. But Sangin has not fallen. And Afghanistan was able to hold a democratic election that produced a new president, Ashraf Ghani. The Afghan army has suffered even more badly, losing 272 soldiers in Helmand since March this year. But Sangin has not fallen. And Afghanistan was able to hold a democratic election that produced a new president, Ashraf Ghani.
Many of the British soldiers getting ready to leave this week expressed simple relief at ending this tour without casualties. There was hope about Ghani and about the Afghan army. They talk up Afghanistan’s prospects. No one wants to think that those British lives were lost in vain.Many of the British soldiers getting ready to leave this week expressed simple relief at ending this tour without casualties. There was hope about Ghani and about the Afghan army. They talk up Afghanistan’s prospects. No one wants to think that those British lives were lost in vain.
Thomson, who was the commander at Sangin six years ago during some of the hardest fighting and saw 24 under his command killed, said conditions in Helmand had improved. Thomson, who was the commander at Sangin six years ago during some of the hardest fighting and saw 24 soldiers under his command killed, said conditions in Helmand had improved.
“We need to get the story into 2014 space not 2006 space. Don’t see Helmand in a lens that is shaped by 2006. See Helmand in a lens shaped by 2014,” Thomson said. “We need to get the story into 2014 space, not 2006 space. Don’t see Helmand in a lens that is shaped by 2006. See Helmand in a lens shaped by 2014,” he said.
“In Lashkar Gah today you could easily go down the street. I have seen children playing chicken in the street. I have seen policemen at the checkpoints at 14.00, 16.00 and at midnight. I wouldn’t have expected to see them at midnight but they were there and that tells me something.”“In Lashkar Gah today you could easily go down the street. I have seen children playing chicken in the street. I have seen policemen at the checkpoints at 14.00, 16.00 and at midnight. I wouldn’t have expected to see them at midnight but they were there and that tells me something.”