Australia may begin Afghanistan pullout in 2012
June 23rd, 2010 - 6:47 pm ICT by IANSCanberra, June 23 (IANS) Australia Wednesday signalled it could start bringing some troops home from Afghanistan in two years.
The government has stressed the mission for Australia’s trainers in Afghanistan, who make up about half of the 1,550-strong contingent, will be completed once troops have fully trained the 4th brigade of the Afghan National Army in Oruzgan province, Xinhua reported.
An assessment of the expected time frame to train the Afghans had been completed recently, Australian defence minister John Faulkner said in a statement.
Defence Force believes that within two to four years Australian troops would be able to hand over the main security responsibility to the Afghan National Army in Oruzgan province.
Faulkner said he expected that when the training mission was completed Australia would “adjust our force levels”. This would be possible as the training mission became more of an over-watch role.
The new timetable for the partial withdrawal of troops came as polls showed the Australian public becoming increasingly frustrated by the war in Afghanistan.
Three Australian commandos died in a helicopter crash this week. The incident came two weeks after two soldiers were killed by a roadside bomb blast in Afghanistan.
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- Australia committed to Afghan war, says Gillard - Feb 20, 2011
- Gillard assures Oz troops in Afghanistan committed to Oruzgan mission - Oct 03, 2010
- Oz soldiers feel their Afghan army allies are 'dodgy' - Jul 16, 2010
- Eight Afghan soldiers die in road-side bomb attack - Jan 12, 2010
- Oz govt. in dock for stonewalling "US requests for additional troops in Afghanistan" - Nov 19, 2010
- Australian Defence forces capture two Taliban leaders in Afghanistan - Apr 01, 2011
- Taliban receive Australian weapons: Report - Aug 01, 2010
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- New Zealand troops to leave Afghanistan early - May 22, 2012
Tags: afghans, australian commandos, australian defence minister, australian troops, bomb blast, canberra, contingent, defence force, defence minister john, helicopter crash, john faulkner, national army, oruzgan province, partial withdrawal, pullout, roadside bomb, security responsibility, two soldiers, war in afghanistan, xinhua