Statement from the Stop the War Coalition on the brutal terrorist attack on Kabul airport

We condemn the bombings at and near Kabul airport on Thursday which were brutal acts leading to the death of at least 90 people, mainly civilians. ISIS-K, the group responsible, has been active in Afghanistan since 2014 and has been involved in hundreds of bombings and attacks in the country in those years. It is opposed to the Taliban as well as the US occupation.

The humiliating withdrawal of Western troops and the collapse of the Western backed government underline the points that the anti-war movement made before the US-led invasion and throughout the subsequent occupation. Military intervention by foreign powers cannot bring progress, peace or democracy.

It is estimated that 240,000 Afghans have died as a direct result of the invasion and occupation over the last twenty years. The economic and social fabric of the country has been devastated. Western military intervention has had the effect of making Afghanistan a much more dangerous place. Keeping troops in the country or launching more bombing attacks will only make the situation worse. The so-called war on terror has had a similar effect in every region on which it has been visited.

It is high time our leaders learnt the lesson of the last twenty years of chaos and carnage. We need to turn away from foreign wars and military interventions and develop a foreign policy based on co-operation and diplomacy.