Mr Blair will today reflect on his time in Downing Street during the September 11 terrorist attacks and his role in the subsequent invasion of Afghanistan alongside the US in 2001.

       Almost two decades ago, Islamist terror organisation al-Qaeda orchestrated a string of coordinated plane hijacking attacks on the US which resulted in the deaths of 3,000 people on US soil September 11 2001.

       The terrorist group were given protection and assistance by the Taliban who ruled Afghanistan between 1996 and 2001.

       Alongside US President George Bush, Mr Blair invaded Afghanistan to protect the West from further attacks and implement democracy in place of the Taliban's feared regime.

       The 20th anniversary of 9/11 is particularly poignant given that the Taliban declared victory over Afghanistan only a matter of weeks ago August 15, 2021.

       Mr Blair admitted there were "serious mistakes" made in the invasion of Afghanistan but has been vocal in his disapproval of the US-led coalition's withdrawal from the region.

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       He said: "The abandonment of Afghanistan and its people is tragic, dangerous, unnecessary, not in their interests and not in ours."

       Mr Blair went on to ask: "In the aftermath of the decision to return Afghanistan to the same group from which the carnage of 9/11 arose, and in a manner that seems almost designed to parade our humiliation, the question posed by allies and enemies alike is: has the West lost its strategic will?"

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