PM Gillard Declares No Immediate Pull out from Afghan War
Australia is bent on completing its mission in Afghanistan regardless of the setbacks its troops absorbed in the past few months, according to Prime Minister Julia Gillard.
In her address before the Parliament on Monday, Ms Gillard admitted that Aussie soldiers have been the recipient of vicious attacks perpetrated by rogue elements of the Afghan National Army, which so far have claimed the lives of a number of diggers.
"Australia will not abandon Afghanistan," Ms Gillard declared amidst concerns of safety by Australian troops who appear not only endangered by attacks from the Talibans but also by members of the local security organisation they work with.
Up to 1550 Australians are currently deployed in Uruzgan, located south of Afghanistan, where they are in the final stages of training local soldiers in preparation for the country's scheduled pull-out by the last quarter of 2014.
Ms Gillard, however, hinted that while she remains firm in winding down the Afghan mission, the likelihood of an extension for the Aussie troops stay is out of the question at this time.
Nonetheless, Australia may perform limited amounts of participation in the ongoing conflict beyond 2014 as she allowed that commando operatives may be allowed to work in the country, with the expressed admission of the Afghan government.
Such move, Ms Gillard said, is part of her efforts to establish an enduring relationship with the present Afghan government headed by President Hamid Karzai, despite suggestions that Aussie soldiers are being put in harm's way.
As of October this year, diggers, including a number of officers, have been attacked and killed by members of the Afghan security officers, unfortunate incidents that NATO officials said were not confined to Australian base of operations.
Service members from the United States, Germany and Italy have also been killed with these kind of attacks that security experts said were induced by the Talibans and effectively undermine the capability of Karzai's government to handle exclusively handle security matters once NATO troops have been pulled out over the next two years.
Notwithstanding, Ms Gillard insisted that progress have been achieved in the Afghan mission and Australia will honour its commitment to the country, way beyond the pre-announced draw downs by 2014.
She added that Australia will continue its presence in the war-torn country, which this year has been identified by mining experts as having rich reserves of ore resources, over the next ten years.