Jamie Stone warns of 'safe haven' for terrorists after Taliban takeover
Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross MP Jamie Stone has warned that Afghanistan could again provide a "safe haven" for terrorists – posing a direct threat to Britain and other western nations.
In his capacity as Liberal Democrat defence spokesperson, Mr Stone is calling on the UK government to publish in full the national security assessment it conducted before pulling troops out.
Parliament is being recalled from its summer recess on Wednesday to debate the crisis.
Taliban fighters seized control of Afghanistan as the country's government collapsed following the withdrawal of NATO forces.
“Terrorists who were once locked up are now freely roaming the streets of Afghanistan and will begin plotting their revenge on countries such as Britain," Mr Stone said. "Yet the government appears stunned, frozen by the events of the past week, at a time of great danger for our country.
“British men and women fought and died for 20 years to stop terrorists using Afghanistan as a safe haven. Now we are back to square one.
“The British people deserve to know the new threats we face.
"We have all seen the chilling scenes of Isis and Al-Qaeda supporters being freed from prisons in Afghanistan. We need to know not only who they are, but also what they are capable of. Most crucially of all, we need to know how we can stop this new security threat emerging before our eyes.
“The government must publish in full the national security assessment it conducted before pulling our troops out of Afghanistan and allowing the Taliban to take control. If Conservative ministers refuse, then parliament should vote for them to do it on Wednesday.”