British Prime Minister Boris Johnson stated Friday that no foreign power could impose a military solution in Afghanistan as Taliban forces are gaining control over many Afghan provinces after allied forces ended their two-decade presence in the country. "I think we have got to be realistic about the power of the UK or any power to impose a military solution — a combat solution — in Afghanistan," Johnson told reporters following a special Cabinet meeting about the evolving situation in Afghanistan. He suggested that what the UK can do is to work with all partners in the region around the world to prevent Afghanistan once again becoming a breeding ground for terror. He insisted that the sacrifices of British forces in Afghanistan were not in vain. "I don't think that it was in vain. If you look back at what has happened over the last 20 years there was a massive effort to deal with a particular problem that everybody will remember after 9/11," he said. "That was successful. To a very large extent the threat from Al Qaida on the streets of our capital, around the UK, around the whole of the West was greatly, greatly reduced. I believe it was right, it was worth it and what we must do now is not turn our backs on Afghanistan," he concluded. Global media outlets say that the Taliban took control of 17 provincial capitals in Afghanistan. The UK, Friday, sent 600 military personnel to Afghanistan to secure the departure of thousands of British citizens and Afghan employees. Johnson has said the UK can be "extremely proud" of its role in Afghanistan, despite the situation in the country having "deteriorated". Thousands of civilians have fled the Taliban onslaught, heading for the capital of Kabul. The World Food Program (WFP) has warned that food shortages are "dire", while the UN has urged Afghanistan's neighbors to keep their borders open. The Taliban now control about a third of Afghanistan's provincial capitals, including Herat, Ghazni and Lashkar Gar. Earlier, Lisa Nandy, Labour's shadow foreign secretary, told BBC Radio 4's World At One program there was "far more" the UK could do to support the people of Afghanistan and accused the government of "hiding". She warned the government that cross-party MPs could push to recall Parliament to hold the government to account if it did not show a clear strategy. Nandy said that people in the country felt "abandoned" and were looking to the US and UK for "a level of leadership". Her concerns were echoed by former Conservative Defense Minister Johnny Mercer, who served in Afghanistan. He described the situation in the country as a "world tragedy" which would have repercussions "for years to come". Lib Dem leader Sir Ed Davey has also backed the idea of recalling Parliament "given the tragedy unfolding before our eyes" and called on the UN to deploy peacekeepers. The US said it would have the bulk of the 3,000 troops it is sending to assist with evacuation in place by the end of the weekend. Pentagon spokesman John Kirby added that the US military was "certainly concerned about the speed with which the Taliban is moving". NATO said it had discussed the situation on Friday and would aim to support the Afghan government and security forces "as much as possible". Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said the Taliban would not be recognized by the international community if it took the country by force, adding that there was deep concern about reports of serious human rights abuses. Meanwhile, Denmark and Norway are closing their embassies in Kabul for now and evacuating their staff as the security situation worsens in Afghanistan, the Nordic countries said on Friday. Speaking to journalists, Danish Foreign Minister Jeppe Kofod said, "We have decided to temporarily close our embassy in Kabul." Later, Norway's Foreign Minister Ine Soreide confirmed that the country would also shut down its embassy and evacuate Norwegian diplomats, local employees and their close relatives. Kofod told media persons that the evacuation will be done "closely coordinated" with Norway, with which the country shares a compound. — Agencies
