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the caretaker president of the country, after ashraf ghani fled from afghanistan. the whereabouts of both mr massoud and mr saleh are not known. the taliban, in their press conference today, claiming that mr saleh had fled to tajikistan, but we don't have word from mr saleh or his representatives on that yet. yogita limaye. here in the uk, prime minister boris johnson will defend his handling of the afghanistan crisis in the commons later, as he vows to use "every economic, political and diplomatic lever" to help afghans. he is expected to update mps on how the government plans to resettle 20,000 afghans in the uk over the coming years. the prime minister and the foreign secretary, dominic raab, have both faced criticism over the uk's response to the taliban takeover. let's cross now to the royal united services institute, where former prime minister tony blair is speaking about the current situation in afghanistan. to mark the anniversary of 9/11.
countries from which terrorist threats can arise. i understand it means that we do not do what we tried to do in afghanistan. the one thing that should be understood, our remaking didn't fail because the people didn't want the country remade. forsure, we people didn't want the country remade. for sure, we could have remade. for sure, we could have remade better, but afghans did not choose the taliban takeover. the last opinion poll in 2019 showed the taliban with 4% support among the afghan people. they conquered the country by violence, not persuasion. the barrier to nation building is usually not the people, but poor institutional capacity and governance including corruption, over many years. and most of all, the challenge of trying to build
government _ they need safe passage now. tie: government says they need safe passage now. tte: government says it they need safe passage now. "tt9 government says it is they need safe passage now. tt9 government says it is proud to welcome afghans here, but the prime minister added... the welcome afghans here, but the prime minister added. . ._ minister added... the bulk of the effort of this _ minister added... the bulk of the effort of this country _ minister added. .. the bulk of the effort of this country will- minister added... the bulk of the effort of this country will be - effort of this country will be directed, and it should be directed, mr speaker, to supporting people in afghanistan and in the region, mr speaker, — afghanistan and in the region, mr speaker, in order to prevent a worse humanitarian crisis.— speaker, in order to prevent a worse humanitarian crisis. within moments of . ettin . humanitarian crisis. within moments of getting to — humanitarian crisis. within moments of getting to his _ humanitarian crisis. within moments of getting to his feet _ humanitarian crisis. within moments of getting to his feet today, - humanitarian crisis. within moments of getting to his feet today, boris - of getting to his feet today, boris johnson faced persistent, probing scrutiny, from the opposition benches and from his own side, too. there was, for many, one overarching question. how was this allowed to happen? question. how was this allowed to ha en? :, question. how was this allowed to hauen? ., ~ , �*, happen? from the prime minister's self evident — happen? from the prime minister's self evident lack _ happen? from the prime minister's self evident lack of _ happen? from the prime minister's self evident lack of influence - happen? from the prime minister's self evident lack of influence and i self evident lack of influence and clout in washington, to his negligent inability, yet again, to master his brief and plan properly for the withdrawal, today's occupant of number ten has become a national liability. i’m of number ten has become a national liabili . �* ., ., ~ , liability. i'm afraid i think this has been _ liability. i'm afraid i think this has been a — liability. i'm afraid i think this has been a major _
fleeing the country. under the scheme, the government has committed to resettling up to 20,000 afghans in the uk in the long term. some 5,000 afghans and theirfamily members will be able to resettle in the uk via that scheme this year. the home secretary, priti patel, said she wanted the majority of those to be women and girls and persecuted minorities. however, some mps have criticised the scheme for not going far enough. speaking in the commons, former prime minister theresa may was among conservative mps who are criticising the government over its handling of the crisis in afghanistan, saying it is "incomprehensible and worrying" that the uk could not work with other nations to "sustain" an afghan government. and we've seen an afghanistan veteran, conservative tom tugendhat, giving an emotional speech about how recent events have reopened old wounds and said the uk
the government has unveiled a scheme to resettle up to 20,000 afghans fleeing the country. 0ur political correspondent chris mason was watching the debate. as mason was watching the debate. mps return here, who as mps return here, so to do those who want to be heard by them. a demonstration demanding those afghans who worked for the uk in afghanistan can now move to live here. afghanistan can now move to live here-_ across - afghanistan can now move to live here._ across the i afghanistan can now move to live i here._ across the road here. order! order! across the road and in the chamber, _ here. order! order! across the road and in the chamber, the _ here. order! order! across the road and in the chamber, the comments| here. order! order! across the road l and in the chamber, the comments as we have not seen it before —— since before the pandemic. a full and noisy, passionate and angry, too. the sacrifice in afghanistan is seared — the sacrifice in afghanistan is seared into our national consciousness, with 150,000 people serving _ consciousness, with 150,000 people serving there from across the length and breadth of the united kingdom. the government has announced today the setting up of what it is calling
the setting up of what it is calling the afghan citizens resettlement scheme. ministers say it will welcome up to 5,000 afghans to the uk in its first year, with a total of 20,000 in the coming years. there is also the afghan relocations and assistance policy to help what the government describes as locally employed staff who worked for the uk and whose lives are now under threat. it is thought 5,000 afghans were qualified by the end of this year. were qualified by the end of this ear. ~ ., ., ., ., ., year. we owe an obligation to the --eole of year. we owe an obligation to the people of afghanistan. _ year. we owe an obligation to the people of afghanistan. there - year. we owe an obligation to the i people of afghanistan. there should be a resettlement scheme for people to rebuild their lives here, safe and legal roots, it must be a resettlement scheme that meets the scale of the enormous challenge. but what the government has announced this morning does not do that. afghan refugees should not and could not wait _ afghan refugees should not and could not wait for up to five years for safety — not wait for up to five years for safety. they need safe passage and they need _ safety. they need safe passage and they need safe passage now. the
the prime minister defends the uk's strategy in afghanistan — insisting he'll honour the commitment to the country's people. as taliban leaders return after years in exile, mps here pack the commons for an emergency debate about the crisis in the country. in parliament, borisjohnson faced criticism from all sides, as plans were announced to resettle 20,000 afghans in the uk. no matter how grim the lessons of the past, _ the future is not yet written. and at this bleak turning point, we must help the people - of afghanistan to choose the best of all the possible futures. - there's been a major miscalculation of the resilience of the afghan forces and staggering complacency
evacuations from the city's airport. the aim is to bring 1,000 afghans to the uk a day. it comes as the taliban's top political leaders returned to afghanistan from qatar — where many were in exile. 0ur diplomatic correspondent paul adams reports. the taliban leadership back on home soil. : , , :, the taliban leadership back on home soil. a , ., ., ., ., ., soil. abdul ghani baradar, one of the movement _ soil. abdul ghani baradar, one of the movement founders, - soil. abdul ghani baradar, one of| the movement founders, returned soil. abdul ghani baradar, one of- the movement founders, returned to kandahar last night, mobbed by supporters still celebrating their success. a moment to savour for the man seen last year signing a deal with the trump administration, which helped set the scene for this remarkable return to power. in kabul, an uneasy calm. taliban fighters everywhere cementing control over a city that has changed out of all recognition since they were last here. a place where, for all the country's many problems, people have dared to hope. i