The Ministry of Defence has said there are currently no plans to deploy Black Watch and other UK soldiers to Afghanistan in the coming weeks after US President Joe Biden confirmed US forces will leave the country by August 31.
Around 100 personnel from 3 Scots, the Black Watch, travelled earlier this week to barracks in Gloucestershire from their base at Fort George, Ardersier, Inverness, in preparedness for deployment to the troubled country.
But following a meeting of the G7 leaders chaired by Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Tuesday afternoon, it was reaffirmed American forces would be withdrawn from Afghanistan by the end of the month, according to President Joe Biden.
Troops from A Company have spent the last week preparing kit and equipment before travelling to England, where it was expected they would fly from RAF Brize Norton to Kabul to help repatriate UK nationals.
A spokesman for the Ministry of Defence said: “Personnel remain at reduced readiness along with other personnel from around the UK.
“There are currently no plans for them to deploy.”
Taliban leaders warned they would not allow any further evacuations from the country after the August 31 deadline, with the interim militant administration saying “they will take a different stance” when September comes.
Extension talks fail
Boris Johnson and other G7 leaders have failed to persuade the US to keep troops in Afghanistan to continue evacuation efforts past the end of the month.
Mr Johnson said: “We will go right up until the last minute that we can but you’ve heard what the President of the United States has said, you’ve heard what the Taliban have said.”
He added: “We’re confident we can get thousands more out, but the situation at the airport is not getting any better.”
He said leaders had agreed the “number one condition” up to and after August 31 was that the Taliban must grant “safe passage for those who want to come out”.
Mr Johnson said there were “harrowing scenes” at Kabul airport for those attempting to flee Afghanistan.
And he said G7 leaders had agreed on a “road map” for engaging with the Taliban.
He said: “What we have done today at the G7 is we have got together the leading Western powers and agreed not just a joint approach to dealing with the evacuation, but also a road map for the way in which we’re going to engage with the Taliban, as it probably will be a Taliban government in Kabul.
“The number one condition we’re setting as G7 is that they have got to guarantee, right the way through, through August 31 and beyond, safe passage for those who want to come out.
“Some will say that they don’t accept that and some, I hope, will see the sense of that, because the G7 has very considerable leverage – economic, diplomatic and political.”
‘Foreign policy disaster’
SNP Westminster Leader Ian Blackford MP insisted Parliament must be recalled.
He said: “The failure to extend the withdrawal deadline is deeply regrettable, and symptomatic of the damaging chaos that has surrounded one of the biggest foreign policy disasters in modern times. It is sadly now inevitable that many vulnerable Afghan people will be left abandoned.
“The UK government shares responsibility for the dire situation in Afghanistan. It is vital that it steps up efforts to tackle the humanitarian crisis — including by substantially increasing the number of Afghan refugees the UK is willing to take, reversing cuts to aid, and working with our international partners to secure safe routes and protect human rights.
“The UK Parliament must be recalled immediately so that UK government ministers can provide daily updates and MPs can properly scrutinise plans for the evacuation, refugee resettlement, and efforts to tackle humanitarian and security concerns. It would be unacceptable for the Prime Minister to avoid scrutiny by keeping Parliament in recess for another fortnight.
“Scotland stands in solidarity with the people of Afghanistan and we are ready to play our full part in resettling Afghan refugees and helping them rebuild their lives here.”