General Sir Nick Carter has sparked outrage over positive comments about the Taliban during TV interviews.
Veterans and politicians rounded on the Chief of the Defence Staff after he suggested the Islamist group may have changed.
Military Cross recipient Trevor Coult, who did five tours of Iraq and Afghanistan, blasted him as 'deluded' and 'out of touch'.
The ex-staff sergeant from Suffolk claimed General Sir Nick 'knows as much about Afghanistan as Prince Harry'.
Meanwhile Shadow Foreign Secretary Lisa Nandy branded the army chief's comments 'unpalatable' to Afghans trapped under Taliban rule.
She said if the military believes the group has changed since it was last in power in the 1990s then 'we need to see some evidence'.
General Sir Nick Carter has sparked outrage over positive comments about the Taliban (pictured yesterday) during TV interviews
General Sir Nick suggested the Taliban wanted an 'inclusive' country - despite their record of oppressing women and enforcing a brutal version of Sharia law.
Responding to Sky News presenter Kay Burley referring to the militants as 'the enemy', he said: 'You need to be careful when talking about the enemy.
'What the Taliban are is a disparate collection of tribespeople, as President Karzai put to me only yesterday, they are country boys.
'And the plain fact is they happen to live by a code of honour and a standard, it's called Pashtunwali.
'It has honour at the heart of what they do... they don't like corrupt governance or governance that is self-serving and they want an Afghanistan that is inclusive for all.'
'Except women?' Burley interjected, to which he responded: 'We have to wait and see... you have to listen to what they are saying at the moment.
'I do think they have changed and recognise Afghanistan has evolved and the fundamental role women have played in that evolution.
'And yes, they undoubtedly will say they want to respect women's rights under Islamic law and that will be a Sharia law, but that doesn't necessarily mean they won't allow them to be involved in government, education and medicine.
'So I think we need to be patient and give them the space to show they can step up to the plate.'
Under Taliban rule, girls were banned from attending school, while women could only appear in public wearing full body coverings and accompanied by male escorts.
Women who did not faithfully observe the Taliban's strict interpretation of Islamic law were publicly flogged or executed.
Some in the militant group have promised not to ban women from attending schools or work and to allow them into government.
Veterans and politicians rounded on the Chief of the Defence Staff (pictured) after he suggested the Islamist group may have changed
General Sir Nick's comments drew fury from veterans, politicians and commentators, with one even branding him an 'apologist'.
Mr Coult, who was awarded the MC by the Queen for his heroic actions in Iraq, told MailOnline: 'I can't believe he can be so deluded and out of touch.
'I'm just confused why the Armed Forces has put its head in the sand. It's absolutely shocking, I'm appalled at them.
'It's just soldiers again being used as pawns. He knows as much about Afghanistan as Prince Harry.'
He added: 'Any general who tells you what's going on on the ground hasn't got a clue.
'The soldiers fought very hard in the war and politicians have just p***ed on the graves of the 457 who died there.'
Mr Coult (pictured), who was awarded the MC by the Queen for his heroic actions in Iraq, told MailOnline: 'I can't believe he can be so deluded and out of touch
Shadow Foreign Secretary Ms Nandy appeared on Sky News moments after General Sir Nick and immediately admonished his comments.
She said: 'I think that's a very difficult and unpalatable message to the many Afghans - including women and girls - who are not just suffering at the moment but also very very fearful about the future.
'I think we should be talking to the Taliban, that's absolutely right, but we should be get guarantees around human rights and the future of for women and girls.'
'None of the guarantees have been given, so if there is a sense from military leaders that the Taliban may turn out to be different in their behaviour than we've seen in recent weeks then we need to see some evidence of that and they ought to be pushing for those guarantees.'
Shadow Foreign Secretary Ms Nandy appeared on Sky News moments after General Sir Nick and immediately admonished his comments
Meanwhile Lynne O'Donnell, a journalist in Afghanistan, wrote on Twitter: 'Gen Sir Nick Carter calls the murderers, liars, misogynists & drug dealers of the Taliban ''reasonable, changed''.
'And there we were thinking he was a serious person. A fool and apologist, an embarrassment and liability. Shame on you.'
London-based commentator Isabel Oakeshott added: 'Chief of the Defence Staff becomes apologist for the Taliban, calling them ''country boys'' who dislike corruption and want inclusivity and appealing to people to give them a chance. Has he taken leave of his senses?
'I wonder how all those who served in Afghanistan/lost limbs and
