Transcript of Minister for Foreign Affairs Dr Vivian Balakrishnan's comments to SPH Media on Afghanistan, 16 August 2021

Grace Ho (ST): You know, there are views in some quarters that perhaps the US should have retained, you know, a smaller crew of several thousand troops in Afghanistan instead of a pullout. What is your take on the US’ approach to this, and the sort of criticism that Biden's come under for taking the stand?

Minister: Well, I do not want to get into the blow-by-blow debate. To take a step back, actually what is happening now, the outcome is not surprising. The pace of the collapse, perhaps, has been unexpected. Meaning the outcome was inevitable, and the only question was how quickly it would happen, and I think it has happened faster than most people anticipated. To zoom away from the details, there is this aphorism that Afghanistan has always been the “graveyard of empires”. It has been so since 2000 years ago with Alexander the Great. 1000 years ago, even the Mongols who had the largest empire ever in history also had to have major entanglements and compromises in Afghanistan. In the 19th century, the British; in the 20th century, the Russians; (and) now the Americans. In a sense, from a historical point of view, this is not a new phenomenon – the “graveyard of empires”.

If you now zoom in a little bit into Afghanistan itself, (it) is worth reminding ourselves that it has never been a nation state in the western classical tradition. It has always been a fulcrum in Central Asia. Invaders have come and gone, its own people have been divided into tribes and a variety of groupings. (They are) a very proud, accomplished people in their own right and therefore, have always refused to succumb to external strictures, forms of government, or political systems. The point is, this is not a new phenomenon. What we hope for right now is that this transition will be peaceful, with minimum bloodshed. Ultimately, it is the Afghan people who have to decide their own futures. 

Now, switching the focus to Singapore, it is another reminder why we do not brook foreign interference. Why it is necessary for us, a multiracial, multi-religious country, to constantly work at unifying our people, achieving unity, and achieving our right to determine our future. It is also a reminder that without the will to fight for what is yours, and without a leadership able to unify and mobilise, you will not survive.

These are some reflections and some lessons as we watch (the) events unfold, somewhat far away. Nevertheless, there are lessons that we all have to reflect on. 

Foreign policy begins at home. You have to settle questions of identity, unity, and confidence, and then you engage the world, then you chase opportunities, then you have things to defend. You must have the will to defend them, and you must have leadership, then you can secure peace, prosperity, happiness, and fairness for your society. As I watch all these things unfold in the world, I watch the digital revolution, as I watch the threat from climate change, now more than ever before, we all need to be alive to both the threats and opportunities. We need to listen to each other, we need to find that identity and values, sense of unity and purpose. I remain an optimist. Especially in Singapore, if our younger generation can forge their own path and their own sense of purpose in this new world, I think there is a rainbow over the horizon to chase. As a humanitarian, war, pandemics and violence bring me great pain. But I can also see the opportunities for a fairer, greener world, with great prospects, especially for the younger generation. 

Yeo Chun Hing (LHZB): Minister, just one more follow-up question on the Afghanistan situation, what is your assessment of the possible implications for Singapore and the region, especially the threat of extremism? 

Minister: We will have to watch this very closely. Terrorism and extremism are clear and present dangers in our region, with or without Afghanistan. We have our own share of threats, which are no less potent in Southeast Asia. That is the first point. The second point is that we will have to wait and see what happens in Afghanistan. It would be a tragedy if it becomes a sanctuary or hotbed of extremism and terrorism. It is worth remembering that this was precisely the trigger that caused America to go there 20 years ago. Let us wait and see, but extremism and terrorism remain clear and present dangers to all of us in Southeast Asia.

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