LONDON: The UK may be prepared to carry out lethal drone strikes in Afghanistan if the Taliban fails to live up to its commitment of preventing the war-torn country from becoming a safe haven for terrorists, British Defense Secretary Ben Wallace has said.
Asked if he was prepared to consider drone strikes in Afghanistan, Wallace said: “I will do whatever I have to do to protect citizens’ lives and our interests and our allies when we are called upon to do so, wherever that may be.”
He made the comments on a visit to a British factory producing a fleet of 16 Protector drones for the UK’s military — at a cost of around £260m ($360m).
The missile-capable aircraft, Wallace said, “is being acquired to ensure that the UK can continue to intervene militarily overseas without the risk of having troops on the ground.”
The defense secretary said: “One of the options is to deploy anywhere in the world where there is an imminent threat to life, British life or our allies, where international law enables us to take action.”
The use of drones is controversial, as they are often linked to civilian casualties. Last month, an Afghan family of 10, including seven children, was wiped out in a US drone strike in Kabul that had targeted a suspected suicide bomber. The Pentagon is now investigating the incident.
Wallace said that he did not believe there was a “short-term” threat emanating from Afghanistan, but the withdraw of US and NATO forces could prove an “inspiration” for other terror groups worldwide.
“The global terrorist threat has taken an uptick,” he said.
