BBC Radio Suffolk – Afghanistan

I find it quite remarkable the speed at which the situation has deteriorated. It’s important the UK cooperates closely with key allies over the coming days and weeks to formulate an appropriate response.

I think we are way off making a decision regarding troop deployment but the reality is that at this stage it would be foolish to rule anything out. We cannot allow Afghanistan to become again what it once was. A safe haven for terrorist groups to form, operate and plan horrific attrocities on both of our own soil and the soil of our close friends and allies.

I think that the decision to remove troops so quickly has been a mistake and the US President has been missing in action. The manner of the US withdrawal has been incredibly sudden and it certainly seems that President Biden and other key figures in the regime dramatically underestimated the chances of the situation on the ground in Afghanistan turning so sour so soon.

I will be heading back to Parliament on Wednesday to I hope to be able to make a contribution to the debate. I will also be listening carefully to all other contributions. As always, if you’re a constituent, please share your views with me and let me know what you think either on here or via email.

This is a depressing situation and each option comes with a range of negatives. At times our contribution to efforts in Afghanistan has felt endless and billions has been spent and over 450 British lives have been lost.

However its depressing to know that the lives of millions of Afghans could well very soon fall back into darkness. We should extend the hand of friendship and compassion to those fleeing for their lives and particularly those who have aided allied forces. However this is also an issue where our interests are also very much on the line. It would be foolish to think that a safe haven for terrorists in Afghanistan wouldn’t most likely have deadly consequences for our own country.

No easy decisions ahead.