LONDON — Former UK PM Tony Blair has described the US decision to withdraw troops from Afghanistan as "imbecilic" in his first public statement since the fall of Kabul to the Taliban last Sunday. Blair said on his website the abandonment of Afghanistan and its people was “tragic, dangerous, unnecessary.” Blair led the UK when it invaded the country alongside the US in 2001, following the 11 September attacks. Blair said that Britain has a "moral obligation" to stay in Afghanistan until "all those who need to be are evacuated". The former Labour leader said: "We must evacuate and give sanctuary to those to whom we have responsibility - those Afghans who helped us and stood by us and have a right to demand we stand by them." He added this should not be done "grudgingly but out of a deep sense of humanity and responsibility." Blair said the decision to withdraw from Afghanistan had been driven by politics, describing it as "in obedience to an imbecilic political slogan about ending "the forever wars"" - a phrase used by US President Joe Biden during his election campaign. Blair admitted mistakes had been made over Afghanistan, but "the reaction to our mistakes have been unfortunately further mistakes". He said while "imperfect", the "real gains over the past 20 years" were now likely to be lost. — Agencies