Labour Party Blasts Raab for Failing to Make Urgent Call to Rescue Afghan Interpreters

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The United Kingdom's Labour shadow home secretary, Nick Thomas-Symonds, on Thursday accused Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab of failing to make an urgent call to help evacuate translators from Afghanistan the day the Taliban* entered Kabul, as he was reportedly vacationing in Greece.

"This is a dereliction of duty. Failing to make a call has put the lives of brave interpreters at risk, after they served so bravely with our military. Utterly shameful," Thomas-Symonds tweeted.

UK media reported that Raab was advised by senior Foreign Office officials that he contacted Afghan Foreign Minister Hanif Atmar to get urgent assistance in airlifting Afghan interpreters who had worked for the UK military.

The call was eventually made by a junior minister. The UK government officials, however, said it was important that the call was made by Raab himself, but he was said to be unavailable.

Other lawmakers, including Labour leader Keir Starmer, also criticized the top British diplomat for failing to adequately respond to the critical developments in Afghanistan.

*The Taliban is a terrorist organisation banned in Russia and many other countries.