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Are we leaving Afghanistan or not?

Leo Shanahan

by Leo Shanahan

23 Jun 03:44pm

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Filed under: Afghanistan, Defence, John Faulkner, Taliban, United States, War

16 comments

Well we’re leaving Afghanistan, it’s just not entirely clear when.

Who's going to be on the last chopper out? Photo: Getty Images

Today Defence Minister John Faulkner has announced changes to our role in Afghanistan that have been made necessary by the withdrawal of Dutch troops in August.

At the same time the Defence Minister gave a qualified timetable for withdrawal between 2012 and 2014, and then assured us that he wasn’t doing that.

With the withdrawal of Dutch troops at the beginning of August Australia’s role will stay much the same, with the Dutch role being taken up by an American led multinational force. You can read more details here.

Faulkner went on to state that in two to four years Australia would “transition security in Oruzgan to the Afghan national Army… our training mission would transition to an overwatch role.”

This appeared to be laying out our timetable for our withdrawal, albeit a rather loose one.

But when asked if this was in fact the case Faulkner quickly made it clear that it wasn’t a timetable for withdrawal.

“I am deliberating not providing a timetable,” he said.

According to Faulkner even the two to four year timetable depended on “the conditions on the ground” and “the position of our partners”. Not minor qualifications.

What we have is a kind of defence version of HR language, an agreement to agree to a withdrawal at some point.

But in setting up a kind of timetable, as weak as it may be, the Government can take some pressure of mounting opposition to the war in Afghanistan in the short term at least.

Most commented

16 comments

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    • BMJ says:

      04:09pm | 23/06/10

      Why has this suddenly become such an issue? I don’t understand. As a nation we need to decide one way or another and stick with it. We could of got out years ago. Anyone with a pinch of common sense has known for years that this conflict is pointless and the outcomes the coalition have sought will never materialise.

      Reply

    • nosthow says:

      04:49pm | 23/06/10

      We have to continue to assit our great friend the US but we will take our que for leaving when they pullout. Lets hope all objectives will be achieved by then with the minimum loss of life - on both sides - wars are a tragedy for all.

      Reply

    • TheRealDave says:

      05:28pm | 23/06/10

      Will we be missed?

      Probably not.

      We sent the barest possible we could get away with politically - a Claytons commitment. Just like we did in Iraq. But we got what we wanted out of it. Access to higher tier US intelligence. Nothing to do with long standing treaties or supporting Allies.

      The sooner we pull out the sooner we stop looking like Dills to our ‘Allies’.

      That, or we make a Fair Dinkum commitment and effort.

      Reply

    • Robert Smissen Rural SA says:

      05:38pm | 23/06/10

      Obviously now the man of steel has gone, we are being led my a man of marshmallow! !

      Reply

    • Peasant #3167 says:

      05:49pm | 23/06/10

      So one day Afghanistan will be run by an honest democratic Government, that is able to control fractional violence and revolt. It will be able to stop corruption, drug production, terrorist groups,  sexism, and allow religious freedom.
      That will be the same day that KRudd combs his hair to the left.

      Reply

    • JJJ says:

      07:10am | 24/06/10

      GREAT comment!... too true. Rudd’s hair aside - it baffles me that a country like the US actually think they can change the fundamental beliefs of a country/people. The arrogance (& we are the greater fool for following along, pretending we think this ‘war’ will achieve anything except continue to confirm the dominance of the US!).

    • Markus says:

      03:53pm | 24/06/10

      It is something I have always wondered.
      Republics developed independently in many countries out of necessity.

      Most are stable and conservative, even between leadership changes, because of the conservative nature of the population’s majority.

      We have seen the result in Iraq of forcing democracy in a country not necessarily ready for it, where the religious fundamentalists have gained more power than they ever had under the conservative, albeit totalitarian, leadership of Saddam.

    • Soames says:

      08:08pm | 23/06/10

      The consequence of Australia withdrawing it’s involvement would be disastrous at this stage. One must think of Australia’s history in such matters, in terms of our remora like defence strategy aligned with the USA. Disastrous because of the domino moral effect that our withdrawal will have on other UN countries, who may well take a view that a small country like Australia, with a high profile in terms of integrity, leadership, and commitment, an example to the globe, is a carte blanche signal to do likewise. This war is like no other, there’s not a despot, nor a maniac, it’s a war against religious lunacy, so endemic, it will take the courage of nations, to so bear ourselves to overcome this evil. Think not of oneself, one’s comfortable existence, one’s armchair critical appraisal, rather roll up one’s sleeves to collectively bear our losses with dignity, in the certain knowledge of the war that will be won, the war of good over evil, for which appeasement or neutrality, has no place.

      Reply

    • Scot says:

      09:58pm | 23/06/10

      The Dutch are leaving because they do not have the fortitude. There was also poor liaison between their commando and the rest of the troops in Afghanistan. and the other army commanders where very unhappy at their lack of professionalism. TheDutch had the easy lifting jobs to do. So the Afghan Army can fill the empty space very easily. We need a force to take care of the scum that is killing their own people if they do not become surfs of their religion and grow opium for them. Better there than Australia.

      Reply

    • DD Ball says:

      10:07pm | 23/06/10

      I think I can confirm the secret that many knew. The ALP won’t be in office to make any lasting decision about Afghanistan.

      Reply

    • Barney says:

      11:31pm | 23/06/10

      Could not agree more with nosthow,we won’t leave,until the US gives us the ok,
      how sad is that

      Reply

    • katherine says:

      11:44pm | 23/06/10

      I know people say it’s wrong that we are losing our Australian troops but they are dying for a reason they chose to fight for their country and that’s what they are doing this for our country they are going to be well known for years why bring our troops back now they would be losing their lives for nothing why can’t we just stand by them as a nation when we could have got our troops back years ago

      Reply

    • ex military says:

      12:02am | 24/06/10

      Agreed we do need to pull out. When? When the job’s done that’s when. When the Afghan security forces are fully established and capable of keeping the Taliban in check and when Afghanistan has a stable Government. 2 years or 10 years makes no difference. If we pull out before the job is done then our efforts would have been for nothing.

      Reply

    • JJJ says:

      07:16am | 24/06/10

      When will the ‘job’ ever be done!? At what point do you honestly think terrorists are going to say “Oh wow. They are really serious about this. I wasn’t being THAT serious about dying for my beliefs so I might stop targetting them to achieve the goals I was raised to fight for. Clearly, it’s not worth it.” !?  Not going to happen. What will happen is the US will realise they are losing popularity and paint a picture that “all is well” and start withdrawing. Otherwise, it will go on FOREVER. Or warfare with evolve (AGAIN) and terrorists will just start using different methods that we cannot stop.

    • Anjuli says:

      01:48pm | 24/06/10

      Afghanistan has been a fortress for over 500 years no one has ever tamed it , nor is ever going to .They are not only fighting the Taliban but Kasai “s government we are told is so corrupt ,until they get a person who is for the total good of that country nothing will change.  We should stop all resettlement of Afghans while our and other countries soldiers are fighting for there democratic rights.

      Reply

    • Tommy J says:

      09:43pm | 24/06/10

      Leo, please allow this comment as it is important. For those of you who may not know, here are just a few facts relevant to the current military deployments. In Haig’s presence, Kissinger [ex US Sec of State and still political heavyweight] referred pointedly to military men as “dumb, stupid animals to be used” as pawns for foreign policy.
      http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Henry_Kissinger  Then we have this from the current US Sec of State, speaking at the NY HQ of the Council on Foreign Relations : “I am delighted to be here in these new headquarters. I have been often to, I guess, the mother ship in New York City, but it’s good to have an outpost of the Council right here down the street from the State Department. We get a lot of advice from the Council, so this will mean I won’t have as far to go to be told what we should be doing and how we should think about the future.” A certain H. Kissinger is also a senior member of said CFR. http://www.state.gov/secretary/rm/2009a/july/126071.htm  and here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-6TXcQpgC9Q
      One more for those of you who believe in the “wars”: http://www.veteransforpeace.org/War_is_a_racket.vp.html  Read it and weep. I have.

      Reply
 
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