West has inflicted catastrophic damage on Afghanistan, says David Miliband

We are not punishing the Taliban, we are making it worse for the people,' says former UK foreign secretary

The west has inflicted catastrophic damage on Afghanistan and its own reputation by imposing a policy of starvation on the country, according to David Miliband, the former UK foreign secretary and chief executive of the International Rescue Committee.

If we wanted to create a failed state we could not have a more effective policy mix than the one we have at the moment," he told the Guardian.