- Trump says Nato forces stayed away from front lines in Afghanistan.
- British minister says Nato answered US call after 9/11 attacks.
- Trump suggests that Nato would not come to the aid of the US if asked.
Britain said on Friday that Donald Trump was “wrong to reduce” North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) troops in Afghanistan, as a claim by the US president that they were not fighting on the front line sparked outrage.
In an interview with Fox News broadcast on Thursday, Trump appeared unaware that 457 British soldiers died during the conflict in the South Asian country following the 9/11 attacks on the United States.
“They will say they have sent some troops to Afghanistan,” Trump told the US magazine, referring to Nato allies.
“And they did, they stayed back a little bit, a little bit away from the front line,” he added.
Trump also repeated his suggestion that Nato would not come to the aid of the US if asked.
In fact, after the 9/11 attacks, Britain and a number of other allies joined the US from 2001 in Afghanistan after it invoked NATO’s collective security clause.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer slammed Trump’s claim as “insulting” and suggested the US leader should apologise.
“I find President Trump’s remarks insulting and, frankly, appalling, and I’m not surprised that they hurt so much the loved ones of those who were killed or injured,” Starmer said, adding that if he had misspoken in such a way, “I would certainly apologize.”
In addition to British forces, troops from other NATO-allied countries also died, including Canada, France, Germany, Italy and Denmark, among others.
“Their sacrifice and the sacrifices of other Nato forces were made in the service of collective security and in response to an attack on our allies,” Starmer’s official spokesman said.
“We are incredibly proud of our armed forces and their service and sacrifice will never be forgotten,” he added.
‘Heroes’
Care Secretary Stephen Kinnock previously said he expected Starmer to raise the issue with Trump.
“I think he will, I’m sure, take this issue up with the president… He’s incredibly proud of our armed forces and he’ll make that clear to the president,” he said. LBC radio.
“What he said just doesn’t add up because the fact of the matter is the only time Article 5 has been invoked was to come to the aid of the US after 9/11,” he added in an interview with Sky News.
Defense Secretary John Healey said Nato’s Article 5 has only been triggered once.
“The United Kingdom and Nato allies answered the call of the United States. And more than 450 British personnel lost their lives in Afghanistan,” he said.
The troops who died were “heroes who gave their lives in the service of our nation”, he added.
Lucy Aldridge, whose son William died aged 18 in Afghanistan, told The Mirror newspaper that Mr Trump’s comments were “extremely upsetting”.
Emily Thornberry, chair of the parliament’s foreign affairs committee, condemned them as “so much more than a mistake”.
“It’s an absolute insult. It’s an insult to 457 families who lost someone in Afghanistan. How dare he say we weren’t on the front lines?” said the Labor Party politician BBC’s Question time program on Thursday evenings.
According to official British figures, 405 of the 457 British casualties who died in Afghanistan were killed in enemy military action.
The US reportedly lost more than 2,400 soldiers.
