The Afghanistan debacle has weakened ties between Britain and America
It strengthens the case for Boris Johnson’s government to work more closely with the European Union
EVER SINCE Winston Churchill, British prime ministers have boasted of their special relationship with American presidents. Yet this supposedly sunny partnership has experienced its fair share of clouds. The past few weeks have seen a big one, after Joe Biden unilaterally announced that all American troops would leave Afghanistan by August 31st, opening the way to a lightning conquest of most of the country by the Taliban. The chaos that followed at Kabul airport as thousands of frightened Afghans tried desperately to escape has shocked the world—and led even the British to ask if the transatlantic relationship is still working.
This article appeared in the Britain section of the print edition under the headline “Yet another squabble”
Britain August 28th 2021
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From the August 28th 2021 edition
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