Defence Minister Stephen Smith announces withdrawal of Australian troops from Afghanistan

    by: Staff writer
    From: News Limited Network
    March 26, 2013
    The Australian.


STEPHEN Smith has announced the multi-national base at Tarin Kowt in Afghanistan will close at the end of this year.

''The International Security Assistance Force has determined that the Tarin Kowt base will close at the end of 2013,'' he said at a press conference in Canberra this morning.



''The effect of that closure will be that Australia will no longer have a permanent presence at Oruzgan province.''

Mr Smith said the rest of the Defence personnel will return to Australia.

"Currently, rule of thumb, we have about 1650 personnel in Afghanistan,'' he said.

''We expect 1000 Australian personnel to return home to Australia by the end of the year''

Mr Smith said Australia will no longer have a permanent presence in Oruzgan.

Australia has had a permanent presence in Tarin Kowt since 2005.


Mr Smith said Australia will transition out of Afghanistan by the end of 2014, adding: ''We remain ready, willing and able to engage in training.''

The Defence Minister also announced  the award of the first army Battle Honour since the end of the Vietnam war.

"Battle Honour will be awarded for operation conducted in May and June of 2010, that saw Ben Roberts Smith awarded Victoria Cross,'' he said.

Chief of Defence General David Hurley, also in attendance, said Australian Defence equipment will be removed as it ''becomes unnecessary to hold it there''.

''As we look to 2014 we will continue with the advisory and training mission we have in Kandahar,'' he said.

''We are prepared to make a special forces contribution for training or counter-terrorism purposes.''

Mr Smith added: ''The deployment of special forces is a matter for ongoing discussion between the Afghans, ISAF and the USA.''

Mr Smith said he has been ''wary about announcing draw down of troops in Afghanistan before it actually happens.''

''This is the most important event and announcement so far as transition has occurred.''

He was adamant Australian troops had made a difference during their tour of duty in the area.

''The security in Oruzgan is in a much better state than when we arrived,'' he said.

''Circumstances and conditions on the ground are much improved.''

Quote:




In Tarin Kowt, Australia's crowning achievement has been the propping up of the brutal warlord Matiullah Khan. He rules with an iron fist. There is no law and definitely no democracy.

MK is the supreme ruler in Tarin Kowt now because Australian and other foreign forces prop him up. As soon as they leave there will be a bloody overthrow - or at least an attempted overthrow. The only certain outcome will be bloodshed and the assurance that Australian troops will have improved absolutely nothing in Afghanistan.

Aren't we all sick of these Government Atheist Wars...?