PM visits troops on maiden foreign trip

Prime Minister Julia Gillard has used her first overseas visit as prime minister to
pay tribute to Australia's troops fighting in Afghanistan as well as honouring
Diggers killed in the conflict.
The prime minister made a secret dash for the Australian base at Tarin Kowt on
Saturday, before travelling to Kabul for meetings with Afghan President Hamid Karzai
and International Security Assistance Force commander General David Petraeus.
Ms Gillard surprised troops and officials at Tarin Kowt, where she praised their
dedication and reassured them of Australia's commitment to the mission in
Afghanistan.
She joined Australian soldiers for a barbecue, praised their "determination and
bravery" and honoured the sacrifice made by those killed during the deployment.
"As an Australian, we are very proud of our people and we are very proud of our
people for good reason," she said.
"I did want to make sure that my first trip as prime minister was to here."
Twenty-one Australians have been killed in Afghanistan - five of them have died
since the election was called in July.
Ms Gillard told the Diggers at Tarin Kowt the nation was fully aware that they were
doing it tough.
"I may not have been prime minister for a very long time but I have certainly
attended a lot of funerals," she said.
There are currently 1550 Australian soldiers in Afghanistan and the opposition has
called for more troop and firepower.
However, the soldiers on the ground have rejected opposition defence spokesman David
Johnston's calls for more tanks to be sent into action.
Senator Johnston said this week troop morale was down because Diggers did not have
the weapons they needed. He has called for 360 extra troops, along with tanks and
helicopters.
He said his concerns arose after he read an email from a digger that referred to
problems troops encountered in a firefight in which one Australian soldier was
killed.
Soldiers at Tarin Kowt reportedly were less than enthusiastic about tanks, although
did say that more helicopters would be useful.
The PM's visit to Afghanistan comes as federal parliament prepares to debate
Australia's role in the war.
The Greens and independent Andrew Wilkie want to pull out, but Ms Gillard has
reassured Mr Karzai of Australia's commitment to the mission, telling him of
Canberra's intention to continue working with the Afghan government to help meet its
security objectives.
The prime minister held discussions with Afghan government ministers before a
private dinner with Mr Karzai.
She also had a meeting with General Petraeus to discuss the ISAF strategy in
Afghanistan.
Her office has reported General Petraeus confirmed all elements of the US-led surge
in Afghanistan were now in place and that it would be given time to complete its
mission.
"They discussed ongoing plans for ISAF and the Afghan government to continue working
on a transition to an Afghan-led security responsibility over the coming years and
that this would be a focus of discussion at the NATO/ISAF Leaders Summit in Lisbon
in November," Ms Gillard's spokesman said.
Ms Gillard will have further discussions on Afghanistan, including the transition to
Afghanistan-led security, when she meets NATO Secretary-General Anders Fogh
Rasmussen in Brussels on October 4.
She is also scheduled to stop briefly in Zurich for a discussion with FIFA president
Sepp Blatter about Australia's bid for either the 2018 or 2022 Football World Cup.
In Brussels, she will attend a conference on trade and security with 46 leaders from
Europe and Asia.



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