Sir, It is fashionable to cast the Afghanistan intervention as one that – being Afghanistan – was always doomed to fail. But William Hague is quite right (“We must not turn our backs on the Afghans”, Comment, Aug 2). As originally conceived, “it could be done”. The lamentable state of strategic thinking in western capitals meant that just as we needed to engage fully in Afghanistan after 2002, we turned our attention to an even bigger operation in Iraq. And just as we needed fully to engage with the problems of Iraq, we turned our attention back to Afghanistan — by which time it was too late and western powers found themselves reduced to a “coping and hoping” strategy, holding out for a lucky break. It never came. As Hague points out, we are now left to pick up the pieces. This is unfortunate for the general reputation of western democracies, and doubly unfortunate for those people in Afghanistan who were persuaded to believe in it.
Professor Michael Clarke
Former director general, Royal United Services Institute
Sir, William Hague enjoins us to “force ourselves to watch” as we contemplate the potential catastrophe unfolding in Afghanistan: he is right. We cannot undo President Biden’s decision to withdraw US forces by September but we must deal with the consequences. Our first strategic task is to support the Afghan government, by whatever means available. There is still no inevitability about the Taliban takeover: it has pushed hard into areas dominated by Pashtuns, from whence it always derived much of its support, but will struggle to control non-Pashtun areas and major towns. Therein lies a chance for the Afghan government. With our continued financial support, diplomatic efforts and military support from outside Afghanistan, it may be possible to “hold the line” so that meaningful peace talks can take place. If that works, we may also be able to achieve the ordered relocation of our former interpreters and other staff to the UK. However, we must have a Plan B, similar to the US plan, whereby we evacuate first, then process later.
Colonel Simon Diggins (ret’d)
Defence attaché, Kabul, 2008-10
Sir, William Hague is right to highlight the insecurity and uncertainty unleashed on Afghans by the heedless American military withdrawal from Afghanistan. He points out the error in the US but could also have underscored the adverse impact of the UK’s cut to development aid on countries such as Afghanistan. He could also have acknowledged that the government’s proposed Nationality and Borders Bill will effectively criminalise seeking asylum in Britain, which will potentially affect people like those courageous Afghan women in Herat.
Afghanistan’s health, education and transport infrastructures are being destroyed as the Taliban and Afghan government forces battle for territory. While people’s livelihoods are on hold owing to the escalating violence in the country, millions of Afghans, through no fault of their own, face acute food shortages and the looming catastrophe of mass unemployment. For Britain to lead by example, it is important not to turn our back on those most in need of our development assistance.
Hameed Hakimi
Research associate, Asia-Pacific Programme and Europe Programme, Chatham House; international adviser for policy and capacity building in Kabul 2014-15
INCITING VIOLENCE AGAINST HEALTH STAFF
Sir, As health and care professionals, we have been moved by the support given to us by the public throughout the pandemic. However, a small but sinister tide has been rising of people who, at best, seek to undermine the important public health advice we give, and, at worst, incite abuse and violence against us. As individuals we have already taken personal action including not wearing uniforms or badges in public and reporting the worst abuse to the police. Today, however, doctors, nurses, midwives, physios, porters, podiatrists, cleaners, indeed the whole NHS workforce, come together to stand against the vitriol to which we have been subjected. We will no longer tolerate the unacceptable behaviour of those who respond aggressively to polite requests to wear masks in our hospitals and GP practices or who stand outside hospitals shouting denials of the pandemic’s existence, and who use their platforms to incite violence against us.
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The public’s support has carried us through the most challenging period any of us have ever faced, and we are proud to serve. Today we ask again for their support, to stand with us and call out the hate and abuse by this small, aggressive minority.
Gill Walton, Royal College of Midwives; Christina McAnea, Unison; Professor Helen Stokes-Lampard, Academy of Medical Royal Colleges; Matthew Taylor, NHS Confederation; Chris Hopson, NHS Providers; Pat Cullen, Royal College of Nursing; Dr Chaand Nagpaul, BMA; Professor Karen Middleton, Chartered Society of Physiotherapy; Edward Morris, Royal College of Obstetricians & Gynaecologists; Steve Jamieson, Royal College of Podiatry
ENDLESS DETENTION
Sir, Matthew Parris is right to highlight the injustice of imprisonment for public protection, (“There are 3,000 lifers who shouldn’t be in jail”, Comment, Jul 31; letter, Aug 2). However, a large number of the public and politicians still clamour for a “lock them up and throw away the key” attitude to imprisonment.
The Criminal Justice Act 2003 provided a legislative framework for sentencing: to punish, reduce crime by deterring offenders, reform and rehabilitate offenders, protect the public and for offenders to make reparation. Given this act, the introduction of imprisonment for public protection (IPP) was unnecessary. IPPs were designed for the most violent and dangerous offenders but their introduction was flawed because they allowed too broad a range of offences; too many offenders were caught in this net.
Kenneth Clarke, as justice secretary, abolished IPPs in 2012 but failed to deal with those who were held under an IPP at that time. While we continue to pander to public opinion, sentencing injustices will remain.
Ashley Tiffen
Senior lecturer in policing (ret’d), Aspatria, Cumbria
MISSING BABY GIRLS
Sir, Reading your report on the prevalence of sex-selective abortions (“Millions of girls lost to sex selection is ‘global timebomb’ ”, Aug 3), I am struck again by the lack of action to prevent this practice in the UK. It is clear that sex-selective abortions are taking place in the UK today. A 2018 investigation by the BBC found that non-invasive pre-natal tests are being used to determine the sex of a baby so that the birth of a daughter can be avoided. The campaign group Jeena International has warned that British Asian women and women born in South Asia but married to men in the UK are aborting girls because of the cultural pressure to have sons.
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Ministers claim that the practice is already against the law. But the experience of women across the UK shows that whatever the law says, it is not preventing sex selection and coercion of women. Politicians must specifically outlaw sex-selective abortion and bolster efforts to deter it.
James Mildred
Christian Action Research and Education
HOLOCAUST MEMORIAL
Sir, The objections to the Holocaust memorial in Victoria Tower Gardens should not be dismissed as “local protests” (“Holocaust memorial approved”, Jul 29). Many of the protests come from non-local people who believe that our open spaces are precious and should not be built on. The worrying lesson of the memorial and learning centre is that statutory provisions and local plans ostensibly protecting open spaces are worthless if politicians decide to appropriate such places for their building projects. Other locations, even in Westminster, could have been available had the government been willing to conduct a proper search and pay for a site.
Dr Dorian Gerhold
London SW15
ATTACKS ON LIVESTOCK
Sir, Further to your report “Unruly lockdown dogs push up livestock attacks by 50%” (News, Aug 3), attacks by unrestrained dogs on sheep highlight the need for dogs to be licensed. Owning a dog is not like any other purchase. Dogs need proper training, as do their owners. The introduction of an annual licence fee of, say, £200 should discourage some irresponsible people.
Julian Landy
Cambridge
THE OLYMPIC THUMP
Sir, As I watch the Olympics I get worried by successful athletes thumping their chest with some force. When I was a hospital doctor we sometimes gave a hard thump to the chest in an attempt to restart the heart after a cardiac arrest. I wonder if we need a study to find out if hard thumps to the chest in healthy athletes are safe? Virtually every athlete I have seen doing this is right-handed; it might be safer to apply such thumps with the left hand, just in case.
Dr Larry BO Amure
Swavesey, Cambs
PLUCKY COMPETITORS
Sir, Coaching the 4XI football team, I can attest to Libby Purves’s view that fourth place is a “special honour” (Aug 2; letter, Aug 3). Higher-ranking teams garner more attention but we “quietly get on with the actual job” in an enjoyable spirit. Games are played in a competitive manner with both sets of teams giving their all but with a pleasing sense of perspective that winning isn’t everything. The reduced pressure tends to result in more sporting conduct, so it is unsurprising that lower-placed teams are dubbed the “Gentlemen’s XI”. Children face many pressures as they grow up; 4XI football is a welcome antidote.
Andrew Copeman
Latymer Upper School, London W6
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DEFENDING THE HEAD
Sir, Given that it seems repeatedly heading a football can increase the chances of long-term health problems such as dementia (“Sell footballs with warnings, says scientist in dementia study”, Aug 3), I am surprised that nobody has come up with a skull cap or similar to protect the head, at least for amateur or youth players. After all amateur boxers and rugby players have such protection available, and even footballers wear shin pads and other protection where needed.
Richard Coppard
Brighton
FORTUNATE FURTLING
Sir, Further to the letter from Tom Wells (Aug 3) in Devon, here in Yorkshire we have been furtling about for a very long time indeed. Yesterday I spent a considerable time furtling in a cupboard trying to find something that I knew was in there. I did find it after I emptied the cupboard.
Marion Moverley
Easingwold, N Yorks
ALL OUR YESTERDAYS
Sir, You don’t have to go as far as Germany to find one word meaning “the day before yesterday” (letter, Aug 3; Notebook, Jul 30). Readers who speak Welsh will know the word echdoe. There is also echnos, “the evening before last”. Welsh also has trennydd (“the day after tomorrow”).
I have also used (admittedly not often) tradwy, which means “in three days’ time”.
Gwyn Neale
Nefyn, Gwynedd