Summary
President Donald Trump stated that NATO troops stayed "a little off the front lines" during the Afghanistan war. This comment drew criticism in the UK, with several officials considering it an insult to the soldiers who served and died there. NATO countries, including the UK, supported the U.S. in the Afghanistan conflict following the 9/11 attacks.
Key Facts
- President Trump suggested NATO troops did not fully engage at the battlefront in Afghanistan.
- This comment upset some UK officials, who saw it as disrespectful to British soldiers who served there.
- The UK joined the U.S. in Afghanistan after the 9/11 attacks as part of NATO's collective defense response.
- As of 2021, over 3,500 coalition soldiers died in the Afghanistan conflict, with more than 2,400 being American.
- The UK suffered the second-highest number of military deaths in Afghanistan after the United States.
- NATO's Article 5 was invoked after 9/11, meaning an attack on one member is seen as an attack on all.
- Critics of Trump's statement include Emily Thornberry, Sir Ed Davey, and Ben Obese-Jecty, who served in Afghanistan.
