William Patey: Securing peace in Afghanistan
Former British ambassador to Afghanistan discusses the prospects for peace and stability in the country.
It has been 11 years since NATO’s International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) were deployed to Afghanistan as part of the”‘War on Terror” following the September 11, 2001 attacks on the US.
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“If we don’t continue to provide support for training and the funding of the Afghan security forces for a number of years beyond 2014 then we are asking for failure…” – Sir William Patey, outgoing British ambassador to Afghanistan |
There has been much debate in past years as to what the current purpose of the mission in Afghanistan is.
With the withdrawal of troops scheduled for 2014, many argue that the country effectively be a failed state with a potential for increased chaos.
With Afghan security forces set to completely take charge following the withdrawal, are the Taliban just as much of a threat as they were in 2001?
Joining Sir David Frost to discuss what is required for continued stability in Afghanistan is Sir William Patey, the outgoing British ambassador to the country.
Now retiring, he gives a candid account of what he really thinks of current UK foreign policy towards Afghanistan, along with his predictions for the future stability of the country and an assessment of Hamid Karzai’s presidency.