Posted on 10/21/2009 2:22:25 AM PDT by markomalley
Australia on Wednesday flagged moves to bring military operations in Afghanistan to a quick end, despite US and NATO calls for more troops to shore up the campaign against a resurgent Taliban militia.
Defence Minister John Faulkner said Australia was studying how to complete the mission in the "shortest time-frame possible". Australia has about 1,550 troops in Afghanistan with no date set for their withdrawal.
"I've certainly asked the Australian Defence Force for any recommendations they have about ensuring we do complete that important role and responsibility both effectively, but in the shortest time-frame possible," he told ABC radio.
Faulkner admitted Australia's move would affect the push by General Stanley McChrystal, the top US and NATO commander in Afghanistan, for an Iraq-style troop "surge" against the increasingly powerful Taliban militia.
"I've been discussing these issues with the chief of the Defence Force, Air Chief Marshal Angus Houston, and obviously it's a critically important matter for me," he said.
"I'm not going to talk specifically about the approaches we'll take but I do acknowledge that there will be impacts on the approach that NATO and ISAF partners will be taking as a result of General McChrystal's 60-day assessment."
McChrystal warned last month that the war could be lost within a year without extra resources to fight the resurgent Islamists, who were driven from power by the 2001 US-led invasion.
(Excerpt) Read more at google.com ...
Can’t blame em’. The Hussein administration is a JOKE
You can’t blame them. Why should anyone be willing to put their life on the line for a leaderless undefined cause.
An unreliable ally is worse than none at all.
Japan is pulling its’ support as well.
Another indication that when a country elects the cowardly Left they always bring weakness that leads to more war and death.
Australia know that the Obama Administration is a catastrophe.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2365905/posts?q=1&;page=101
The links from June/July 2009 are amazing to read.
Same thing for Rudd government.
Don't jump to conclusions here.Australia recently elected a leftist government.In the West,and elsewhere,such governments usually see the US as the source of all death,destruction and evil in the world.So this may well have happened....and perhaps happened even quicker...with McLame (or Bush) in office.
Who are you talking about...Hussein...Rudd...or both?
Although I don't know much about Australian history I've always had the sense that she has been a resolute and brave ally of Western values,interests and security whose soldiers have,all too often,answered the call to protect those values.And have done so with exceptional skill and courage.
However,as already mentioned,she has recently elected a leftist government.And I'm sure that you know that among the hallmarks of Western leftist thought is a desire to be *world* citizens and to support the peoples of the world against the hegemony and tyranny of the United States War Machine.So,IMO,a unilateral pullout from Afghanistan would be fully in keeping with these ideals.
I fear history and Obama’s lack of ability that it is time to go.
I’m referring to Hussein, Rudd and the coward Zapatero.
Kevin Rudd = China’s puppet
Australia was involved with the Boer War, WW1, WW2, Korean, Vietnam, Timor and the wars in the Mideast. Australia, to my knowledge never ever planned a quick withdrawal leaving her allies such as Britain, Canada, NATO in the lurch. That is very un-Australian. I hope this report is not true, because of what it implies. If true, I hope, it is the reason you give. My take, if this story is true, the new tack by the Obama Administration (According to NPR, Obama put Carville in charge of influencing the A-stan elections with the #1 goal to force a runoff from the August elections) will cause a civil war in A-stan. Democrats, as our recent history has proven (Florida, Minnesota and ACORN) only know how to destabilize elections. It is now apparant that Obama/Carville have succeed in destabilizing the elections in A-stan and now do not want to increase the number of Troopers to organize a secure and safe election for later this year. I think Australia’s take on this situation is that A-stan is becoming a lit “powder keg”.
I sure hate to hear that Digger is leaving,,,
Good Troopers...
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