OPINION: This article may contain commentary which reflects the author's opinion.
The United Kingdom’s Houses of Parliament has officially voted to hold Joe Biden in contempt over his disastrous handling of the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan.
As noted by The U.K. Telegraph, Biden’s handling of the Afghanistan withdrawal was condemned as “catastrophic” and “shameful” by the Brits, which are strong allies to the U.S.
“MPs and peers from across the political spectrum, including Boris Johnson, put some blame for the Taliban’s takeover and the chaos that followed on Britain’s closest ally. Mr. Biden was accused of “throwing us and everybody else to the fire” by pulling out US troops and was called “dishonorable” for criticizing Afghan forces for not having the will to fight,” the outlet reported.
“Former defense chiefs who led British troops in the Middle East were among those to speak out, while there were warnings that the West’s withdrawal would embolden Russia and China. The interventions mark a deterioration in UK-US relations almost exactly 20 years after Britain joined America in invading Afghanistan to root out terrorism after the September 11 attacks,” the outlet added.
U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson also took a not-so-subtle swipe at the U.S.
“The West could not continue this US-led mission – a mission conceived and executed in support and defense of America – without American logistics, without US airpower, and without American might,” he said.
Labour Leader Keir Starmer said: “The US is, of course, an important ally, but to overlook the fighting of the Afghan troops and forces, and the fact that they have been at the forefront of that fighting in recent years, is wrong.”
Labour MP Chris Bryant slammed Biden for claiming that Afghan soldiers ran away and refused to fight the Taliban.
Bryant called Biden’s remarks “some of the most shameful comments ever from an American president.”
Former Defense Minister Khalid Mahmood said: “The Biden government have just come in and, without looking at what is happening on the ground, have taken a unilateral decision, throwing us and everybody else to the fire.”
Former Tory leader Lord Howard said Biden’s decision “is, and will be seen by history as, a catastrophic mistake which may well prove to be the defining legacy of his presidency.”
I cannot think of any US president that has received this level of unanimous condemnation from Britain's Parliament in modern times. Joe Biden has dramatically undermined US allies and America's standing in the world. https://t.co/3wKUc2tKm8
— Nile Gardiner (@NileGardiner) August 18, 2021
“Catastrophic and shameful” https://t.co/hnpkdV9YfW
— Raheem J. Kassam (@RaheemKassam) August 19, 2021
For his part, Biden is blaming pretty much everyone else for the disaster in Afghanistan following his decision to hastily withdrawal U.S. troops from the region.
Biden has also come under fire for claiming he “could not recall” military leaders telling him that he should keep a small force in Afghanistan.
Biden also said that the United States had no troops in Afghanistan which is inaccurate as there are around 900 U.S. troops in Syria.
