Prince Harry has blasted US President Donald Trump for saying that Nato troops in Afghanistan had "stayed a little back, a little off the front lines". Photo / Getty Images
The Duke of Sussex has hit back at Donald Trump, saying the “sacrifices” of British soldiers who served and died in Afghanistan “deserve to be spoken about truthfully and with respect”.
Prince Harry, who served on two front-line tours in Afghanistan and spent 10 years in the British Army, said he had “lost friends” in the conflict and that “thousands of lives were changed forever”.
His intervention came after Prime Minister Keir Starmer denounced the US President for saying Nato troops had “stayed a little back off the front lines” during two decades of fighting against the Taliban, adding that he would apologise if he had said the words used by Trump.
The Duke said in a statement: “In 2001, Nato invoked Article 5 for the first – and only – time in history. It meant that every allied nation was obliged to stand with the United States in Afghanistan, in pursuit of our shared security. Allies answered that call.
“I served there. I made lifelong friends there. And I lost friends there. The United Kingdom alone had 457 service personnel killed.
“Thousands of lives were changed forever. Mothers and fathers buried sons and daughters. Children were left without a parent. Families are left carrying the cost.
“Those sacrifices deserve to be spoken about truthfully and with respect, as we all remain united and loyal to the defence of diplomacy and peace.”
Starmer suggested that Donald Trump should apologise for his “insulting and frankly appalling” remarks about British troops in Afghanistan.
Speaking in Downing Street, Starmer paid tribute to the 457 British troops who died and those who were injured in the conflict.
He said: “I consider President Trump’s remarks to be insulting and frankly appalling and I am not surprised they have caused such hurt to the loved ones of those who were killed or injured and, in fact, across the country.”
Starmer added: “If I had misspoken in that way or said those words, I would certainly apologise.”
Asked about the Prime Minister’s suggestion that Trump should apologise, the White House doubled down on the President’s remarks with a spokesman telling the Telegraph: “President Trump is right – America’s contributions to Nato dwarf that of other countries, and his success in delivering a 5% spending pledge from Nato allies is helping Europe take greater responsibility for its own defence.”
Starmer faced accusations earlier on Friday that he had been “too weak” in his response to Trump.
The Conservatives also denounced Trump’s “deeply disappointing” comments, alongside the mothers of other British soldiers injured and killed in Afghanistan.
Kemi Badenoch, the Tory leader, accused Trump of “denigrating” British troops and said his comments were “flat-out nonsense”.
Trump made his claims in an interview with Fox News in which he suggested that Nato would not support America if asked.
He said: “We’ve never needed them. They’ll say they sent some troops to Afghanistan... and they did, they stayed a little back, a little off the front line.”
Britain became involved in the military action after the US invoked the collective security provisions of Nato’s Article 5 after the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001.
The Prime Minister’s spokesman said earlier on Friday: “Following the 9/11 attacks on the US, Article 5 of the Nato treaty was invoked for the first time and British forces served alongside American and other allied troops in sustained combat operations.
“Four hundred and fifty-seven British service personnel lost their lives in Afghanistan and many more were wounded. Many hundreds suffered life-changing injuries from their service alongside the US and our allies in Afghanistan.
“Their sacrifice and that of other Nato allies was made in the service of collective security and in response to an attack on our ally. We are incredibly proud of our Armed Forces and their sacrifice and service will never be forgotten.”
The spokesman said Downing Street would set out any conversations with Trump about his comments “in the usual way”.
He added: “As I say, the President was wrong to diminish the role of Nato troops and I’ve just made that very clear.”
He declined to say whether Trump would apologise, saying: “I’m not going to speak for the President. I’ve just set out our position.
“For decades, the US and UK have trained together… and have made the ultimate sacrifice in defence of our countries and our values.”
Badenoch said: “Trump saying Nato allies ‘weren’t on the front line’ in Afghanistan is flat-out nonsense.
“British, Canadian and Nato troops fought and died alongside the US for 20 years. This is a fact, not opinion. Their sacrifice deserves respect, not denigration.”
Badenoch later said Trump’s comments were “disgraceful”, telling GB News: “I think those comments are absolutely appalling, they are untrue, and he should absolutely not have said that. That is not something that we should even be questioning.”
Yvette Cooper, the Foreign Secretary, said: “British and Nato troops fought side by side with our American friends in Afghanistan.
“To suggest otherwise is just wrong. Our whole country honours their courage and sacrifice and we honour and respect that of our allies.”
Lucy Aldridge, whose son William Aldridge became the youngest British soldier to die in Afghanistan aged 18, said she had found Trump’s claim “deeply upsetting”.
She told the Mirror: “We live the trauma daily for the rest of our lives because of the contribution that our loved ones made. And they were absolutely on the front line.
“William himself was in Sangin, in Helmand Province. They were patrolling the Pharmacy Road in 2009 and 2010, which were the worst years for casualties for allied forces, because it was the singularly most dangerous place in the world at the time.
“And to ignore that because, let’s face it, Trump isn’t particularly hot on history. He is so out of touch with the reality, and what it costs in human life. He has no compassion whatsoever for anyone who doesn’t serve him.”
Diane Dernie, mother of Ben Parkinson, who is regarded as the most severely injured British soldier to survive the Afghan war, said she had been dismayed by Trump’s “disgraceful” remarks.
“I can assure you the Taliban didn’t plant IEDs miles and miles back from the front line,” she said.
“To say that British troops, Nato forces, were not involved on the front lines – it’s just a childish man trying to deflect from his own actions, and it’s just beyond belief.
“I mean, it is so insulting, it’s so hard to hear. We’d be very interested to see what our own Prime Minister’s response is to this, because this is just disgraceful.”
Parkinson was maimed in Afghanistan aged 22 when the Land Rover he was travelling in hit a mine in Helmand Province.
The explosion broke his back in three places and punctured his lungs. Every one of his ribs was broken, his spleen was ruptured and his cheek, nose and jaw were smashed.
He was left in a coma for four months, during which surgeons removed both his legs above the knees. He also lost his speech at the time and was left with debilitating brain injuries.
Dernie called on Starmer to “absolutely refute” Trump’s comments, adding: “He’s got to stand up for his own Armed Forces.
“Call him out. Make a stand for those who fought for this country and for our flag, because it’s just beyond belief.
“To hear this man [Trump] say, ‘Oh, well, you just fannied about behind the front lines’... It’s the ultimate insult.”
Doug Beattie, a former Army captain who won the Military Cross for his service in Afghanistan, said Trump had “trampled over the memories” of those who died in the conflict.
Beattie, now a member of the Northern Ireland Assembly for the Ulster Unionist Party, said: “More than 600 [British soldiers] were seriously injured, including my good friend Andy Allen, who lost both legs and most of his eyesight on the front line fighting against a brutal regime which was the Taliban.
“The President has insulted him, he has insulted me and he has insulted many other people who served in Afghanistan.”
He also urged the Prime Minister to “hold the president to task”, adding: “For me as a former soldier who served in Afghanistan, I will not allow anybody to trample over the memory of those men and women who I served alongside, who gave so much... We need to stand up to him, stand up to his bullying.”
Al Carns, the minister for the Armed Forces who is an Afghanistan veteran, said: “Many courageous and honourable service personnel from many nations fought on the front line, many fought way beyond that. I served five tours in Afghanistan, many alongside my American colleagues.
“We shed blood, sweat and tears together and not everybody came home. These are bonds, I think, forged in fire, protecting US or shared interests but actually protecting democracy.”
James MacCleary, the Liberal Democrat defence spokesman, said Starmer must summon the US ambassador after Trump’s “lies”.
“The President shows his true colours in denigrating the best of us – those who gave the ultimate sacrifice,” he added.
Sir Ed Davey, the Liberal Democrat leader, also criticised the Prime Minister for being “too weak” in his response to Trump’s “appalling and insulting” remarks.
Sign up to Herald Premium Editor’s Picks, delivered straight to your inbox every Friday. Editor-in-Chief Murray Kirkness picks the week’s best features, interviews and investigations. Sign up for Herald Premium here.