Former British prime minister Tony Blair has slammed the United States' decision to withdraw from Afghanistan saying it has "every Jihadist group around the world cheering".
In a lengthy essay, posted on his website, Blair said the sudden and chaotic pullout that allowed the Taliban to reclaim power undermined everything that had been achieved in Afghanistan over the past two decades, including advances in living standards and the education of girls.
"The abandonment of Afghanistan and its people is tragic, dangerous, unnecessary, not in their interests and not in ours" he said.
As Prime Minister 20 years ago, Blair deployed British troops to Afghanistan after the 9/11 terrorist attacks on the US.
"The world is now uncertain of where the West stands because it is so obvious that the decision to withdraw from Afghanistan in this way was driven not by grand strategy but by politics".
Blair accused US President Joe Biden of making the decision on the back of "an imbecilic political slogan about ending the forever wars".
Blair went on to say "policy can’t be decided by slogan. It’s got to be decided on the basis of a strategy. And that’s a different thing".
He added Britain had a "moral obligation" to stay in Afghanistan until everyone who needs to be evacuated is taken out.
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