Dominic Raab Defends He Didn’t Call Afghan Foreign Minister On Vacation Because He Was “Prioritizing Security” At Kabul Airport | politics news

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Dominic Raab said he did not call Afghanistan’s foreign minister when he was on vacation because he was prioritizing securing Kabul airport so that evacuation flights could depart.

Amid growing criticism over the speed of his response to the Taliban’s takeover, the foreign minister said in a statement on Friday that the government was “working tirelessly” to help people flee Afghanistan.

“On the afternoon of Friday, August 13, I advised my private office (around 6pm Afghan time) to recommend a phone call to the Afghan Foreign Minister. This was quickly overtaken by events,” the statement read.

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Photo: The RAF was helping people evacuate from Kabul airport. Pic: Mod

“The call was delegated to a Secretary of State because I was prioritizing security and capacity at the airport on direct advice from the Director and General Manager overseeing the crisis response,” he said.

“In any case, the Afghan foreign minister agreed to respond, but was unable to do so due to the rapidly deteriorating situation.

“The government’s approach to prioritizing security at the airport was the right one. As a result, 204 UK nationals and their families, Afghan staff and other nationals were evacuated on the morning of Monday 16 August.”

In a post on social media, the foreign minister said his statement came “in response to inaccurate media reports during recent days.”

Raab continues to resist calls to resign as foreign minister after refusing to speak with his Afghan counterpart while on vacation as the Taliban approached Kabul.

Labour, the Liberal Democrats, the Scottish National Party and Blade Cemrow are pressing Raab to step down from his ministerial role and are telling Prime Minister Boris Johnson to fire the Foreign Secretary if he does not step down.

Photo: Armed Forces Minister James Hebei said government officials are ‘working on their support’ to evacuate people

But Downing Street says they have “full confidence” in Mr Raab.

Asked by reporters Thursday morning if he intended to resign over the matter, the foreign minister replied: “No.”

Speaking to Sky News on Friday, Defense Secretary James Hebey backed Mr Raab and said people at all levels of the UK government were “working on their support” to evacuate people.

But Labor says the position of foreign minister has become “untenable”.

Earlier this week, Shadow Foreign Minister Lisa Nandy told Sky News that “the lack of contact with the Afghan foreign minister seems to me quite a shame on the part of the government.”

“If Dominic Raab does not have the decency to resign, the prime minister should show a modicum of leadership and remove him,” she added in a statement later.

Photo: Taliban fighters have taken control of Kabul in recent days. Pic: AP

Labor deputy leader Angela Rayner added: “Dominic Raab should resign. If he doesn’t, Boris Johnson should sack him.”

In a social media post, Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey said: “Rapp must go.”

Emphasizing the same position, SNP leader in Westminster Ian Blackford said: “Dominic Raab has failed in his essential duties as Foreign Secretary and has endangered people’s lives. His position is completely untenable and must either resign or be dismissed.”

Liz Savile Roberts, leader of the Blade Cymru in Westminster, said Raab “can no longer command respect” and “should resign or be removed from office”.

Defense Secretary Ben Wallace also defended Mr. Raab, telling Kay Burley that “one phone call is not a reason we are where we are” regarding the current situation in Afghanistan.

Photo: Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab faced calls to resign after not calling Afghanistan’s foreign minister while on vacation

He added that he had “no problem” in dealing with the foreign minister while he was abroad.

Chief Conservative Sir Roger Gill said he was “not prepared to be part of a witch-hunt” against the foreign secretary.

“They are being informed on a minute-by-minute basis, the fact that someone these days has recent contacts who is in Greece or Timbuktu for that matter, makes no difference, they are still able to communicate,” he told the Palestinian News Agency.

Mr. Raab has been accused of failing to request Hanif Atmar’s urgent assistance in evacuating Afghan interpreters who had worked with British military personnel during the 20-year conflict in the country.

The foreign minister was on vacation when senior officials advised him to speak with Mr. Atmar as the Taliban headed for the Afghan capital, Kabul.

The officials said it was important that the call was by Mr. Raab, not a secretary of state.

But they were told that Mr Raab was not present and that Lord Goldsmith, the alternate foreign secretary, could speak to Mr Atmar instead.

On Wednesday, a State Department spokesperson said: “The Secretary of State has made a bunch of other calls and that call has been delegated to another minister.”

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‘This is a moment of shame for the government’

It was later reported that the phone call had not been made by the foreign minister either.

Raab reportedly did not speak with his Afghan counterpart until at least the next day, after the Afghan Foreign Ministry refused to make a call to the junior British minister.

This means a critical time was lost before the Taliban took control of Kabul on Sunday, leading to a desperate rush to evacuate thousands of Britons and interpreters, which is still ongoing.

Shadow Home Secretary Nick Thomas Symonds accused Mr Raab of “dereliction of duty”.

Meanwhile, Spokesperson No. 10 confirmed that the Prime Minister will chair the House of Representatives meeting on Friday afternoon to discuss the current situation in Afghanistan.

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