UK's Johnson to detail final withdrawal from Afghanistan

Prime Minister Boris Johnson is expected to set out details of Britain’s final military withdrawal from Afghanistan almost 20 years after the U.K. and other Western countries began their deployment

LONDON -- Prime Minister Boris Johnson plans to set out details Thursday of Britain’s final military withdrawal from Afghanistan almost 20 years after the U.K. and other Western countries sent troops into the country. Johnson told lawmakers Wednesday he felt “apprehensive” about the future of Afghanistan and that the situation was “fraught with risks.” The Taliban has been making rapid advances in many districts in the north as the United States completes its troop withdrawal. Most European troops have also quietly pulled out in recent weeks. “We have to be absolutely realistic about the situation that we’re in, and what we have to hope is that the blood and treasure spent by this country over decades in protecting the people of Afghanistan has not been in vain and that the legacy of their efforts is protected,” Johnson said. Britain’s Defense Ministry, citing security reasons, has declined so far to give details about its withdrawal beyond saying it would be “complete within a few months.” However, British media have reported that the last British troops left Afghanistan this week.