As the withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan nears completion, the debate over the country’s two-decade military involvement has reignited. Recent comments by former US President Donald Trump criticising Nato allies’ role in the conflict have drawn sharp rebukes from Afghanistan veterans.
Trump, in a speech last week, suggested that Nato members had largely avoided front-line combat during the war, stating: “They didn’t do anything. All they did was take money from the United States.” This assertion has been met with strong pushback from veterans who served alongside international forces.
“It’s just plain incorrect,” said former British Army Captain Walter Hill, who was deployed to Helmand province in 2010. “I saw first-hand the sacrifices made by our Nato partners. They fought and died alongside us in some of the fiercest battles.”
Hill recounted the joint operations he participated in with troops from Canada, Denmark, and other Nato countries. “The idea that they sat back and just took money is completely divorced from reality,” he said. “They were in the thick of it, taking casualties just like we were.”
Similar sentiments were echoed by US Marine veteran Emily Gonzalez, who served multiple tours in Afghanistan. “Trump is rewriting history to fit his own narrative,” she said. “I remember the Canadians, the Dutch, the Australians – they were out there fighting and dying with us. To dismiss their contributions is an insult to their sacrifice.”
Nato’s involvement in Afghanistan began in 2001, with the alliance’s International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) taking the lead in combat operations from 2003 onwards. At the peak of the mission in 2010-2011, Nato had over 130,000 troops deployed from 50 contributing nations.
According to data from the Nato website, a total of 3,575 Nato personnel lost their lives during the Afghanistan conflict. This includes 2,442 US troops, as well as 1,133 service members from other Nato countries.
“Those numbers speak for themselves,” said Hill. “Trump can try to rewrite the facts, but the reality is that Nato stood shoulder to shoulder with the US throughout this war. To claim otherwise is simply false.”
As the US and its allies grapple with the legacy of the Afghanistan war, veterans like Hill and Gonzalez argue that it is crucial to accurately acknowledge the role and sacrifices of all those who served.
“This isn’t about scoring political points,” said Gonzalez. “It’s about honouring the memory of those who gave their lives for this mission. Trump’s comments do a disservice to their sacrifice.”
