- Trump says NATO forces have stayed away from the front lines in Afghanistan.
- The British minister said NATO had responded to the United States’ call after the September 11 attacks.
- Trump suggests that NATO would not come to the aid of the United States if asked.
Britain said on Friday that Donald Trump was “error in diminishing” the role of North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) troops in Afghanistan, as the US president’s assertion that they had not fought on the front line sparked outrage.
In an interview with Fox News broadcast on Thursday, Trump appeared unaware that 457 British soldiers died in the conflict in the South Asian country following the September 11 attacks on the United States.
“They will say they sent troops to Afghanistan,” Trump told the US media outlet, referring to NATO allies.
“And they did it, they stayed a little behind, a little behind the front lines,” he added.
Trump also reiterated his suggestion that NATO would not come to the aid of the United States if asked to do so.
In fact, following the September 11 attacks, the UK and a number of other allies joined the US from 2001 in Afghanistan after the latter invoked NATO’s collective security clause.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer called Trump’s comments “insulting” and suggested the US leader should apologize.
“I regard President Trump’s remarks as insulting and frankly appalling, and I am not surprised that they have caused so much harm to the loved ones of those who were killed or injured,” Starmer said, adding that if he had misspoke in that way, “I would certainly apologise.”
In addition to British forces, troops from other NATO allies, including Canada, France, Germany, Italy and Denmark, among others, also lost their lives.
“Their sacrifice and that of other NATO forces was made in the service of collective security and in response to an attack on our ally,” Starmer’s official spokesperson said.
“We are incredibly proud of our armed forces and their service and sacrifices will never be forgotten,” he added.
“Hero”
Care Minister Stephen Kinnock earlier said he expected Starmer to raise the issue with Trump.
“I think he will raise this issue, I’m sure, with the president… He’s incredibly proud of our armed forces, and he’ll make that clear to the president,” he said. LBC Radio.
“It just doesn’t add up to what he said, because the fact is that the only time Article 5 was invoked was to come to the aid of the United States after 9/11,” he added in an interview with Sky News.
Defense Minister John Healey said NATO Article 5 had only been triggered once.
“The UK and its NATO allies responded to the US call. And more than 450 British service members have lost their lives in Afghanistan,” he said.
The fallen soldiers were “heroes who gave their lives in service to our nation,” he added.
Lucy Aldridge, whose son William died aged 18 in Afghanistan, told The Mirror newspaper that Trump’s remarks were “extremely upsetting”.
Emily Thornberry, chair of Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee, denounced them as “much more than a mistake”.
“It’s an absolute insult. It’s an insult to the 457 families who lost someone in Afghanistan. How dare he say we weren’t on the front lines?” Labor Party politician said the BBC Question Time program on Thursday evening.
According to official UK figures, 405 of the 457 British casualties who died in Afghanistan were killed during hostile military action.
The United States reportedly lost more than 2,400 soldiers.
