UK lawmakers criticize ‘absence’ of Afghan evacuation plan

LONDON (AP) — A report says Britain’s withdrawal from Afghanistan was a “disaster and betrayal” hampered by a lack of leadership from senior politicians and civil servants. The House of Commons Foreign Affairs Committee criticized the Foreign Office on Tuesday for the “total absence” of a plan for evacuating Afghans who supported the U.K. mission, despite knowing for 18 months that such an evacuation might be necessary.  This was compounded by the fact that there seemed to be no clear lines of leadership among political leaders, with decisions made on the basis of “untraceable and unaccountable political interventions,” the committee said in its report.