Britain’s long war in Afghanistan comes to an end
Latest update : 2014-10-26
Britain’s last remaining combat troops in Afghanistan officially ended their operations in the country after 13 years on Sunday as they transferred control of their final military base to the Afghan military.
The British flag was lowered and folded up at Camp Bastion for the last time, while the final US Marines unit in Afghanistan handed over the adjacent Camp Leatherneck, also bringing an end to their combat operations in the country.
The timing of the troops’ withdrawal in the strategic province of Helmand was not released for security reasons.
Britain’s Defense Secretary Michael Fallon said the end of combat operations in Afghanistan was announced “with pride,” adding that Britain had helped give the country “the best possible chance of a stable future.”
Camp Bastion has served as the centre of Britain’s operations in the country since 2006.
The handover of the two bases marks the end of an important chapter in the Afghan war, which began after the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on the United States.
Camp Leatherneck is the largest US base to be handed over to Afghan control as the coalition ends its combat mission at the end of the year, leaving most of the fight against a resilient Taliban insurgency to Afghan army and police.
Once a teeming compound of some 40,000 personnel, the coalition’s Regional Command (Southwest) combined base on Sunday resembled a well-fortified ghost town. The most recent official estimate of combined international troops at the base was 4,500 - and those last few will be gone soon, officials said.
After the withdrawal, the Afghan National Army’s 215th Corps will be headquartered at the 6,500-acre base, leaving almost no foreign military presence in Helmand.
The province, which produces 80-90 percent of the opium that helps finance the Taliban’s insurgency, has seen fierce fighting this year, with Taliban and allied forces seeking to seize the district of Sangin from Afghan army and police.
The battles have raised concerns about whether Afghan forces are truly able to hold off the Taliban without intelligence and air support from the United States and its allies.
Officials with the US-led coalition say the Afghan forces held their own this summer fighting season and did not lose any significant ground.
“I’m cautiously optimistic they will be able to sustain themselves,” said Brig. Gen Daniel Yoo, the commander of Regional Command (Southwest), said of the Afghan forces.
Brigadier Rob Thomson, a senior British officer in Helmand, also expressed confidence in the Afghan forces, saying they were “more than ready” to assume responsibility for security.
Helmand was a major focus of the 2010 troops surge to wrest control back from the Taliban insurgency. The surge saw international forces in Afghanistan swell to about 140,000. By January 1, that number will be about 12,500 of mostly trainers and advisers.
A total of 453 British troops and 2,349 Americans have died in the fighting.
http://www.france24.com/en/20141026-afghanistan-britain-officially-ends-military-operations/
No comments:
Post a Comment