LETTER: Afghan history lessons

Sir Alexander Burnes sparked the 1842 British disaster in Kabul by bedding an escaped slave girl and refusing to hand her back. Disregarding warnings to flee, he and his brother Charles were hacked to pieces and 16,000 (4,000 troops and 12,000 mostly local camp followers) were subsequently massacred during the  Hindu Kush retreat after promises of safe passage.

Kabul has always been a treacherous place, especially for foreign invaders. Against this background, about 5,000 American, British and European troops have been holding the Hamid Karzai International Airport at the pleasure of the Taliban. Sent there to rescue US citizens and terrified locals because their president precipitously withdrew half that number two weeks ago, their only escape will be by air.

The Taliban, plus their even more radical offshoots, must have scores to settle after 20 years of war. US drones have killed whole families and bombs have demolished villages indiscriminately. Their Iranian backers want revenge for Gen Qasem Soleimani, while the Chinese would like nothing more than a bloody disaster to discourage American adventurism around Taiwan.

The evacuation is still proceeding, but the situation could change in an instant. If it does, these troops and civilians will be trapped like that British column in the Hindu Kush.

James Cunningham 
Camps Bay

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