ID :
31510
Fri, 11/21/2008 - 17:52
Auther :
Shortlink :
http://m.oananews.org//node/31510
The shortlink copeid
Diggers in action in Afghanistan
Australia's new training team in Afghanistan fought Taliban insurgents four times in the last month, including repelling an attack against a remote patrol base manned by Australian and Afghan troops.
Defence head Air Chief Marshal Angus Houston said the 70-member training team officially took over full responsibility for training an Afghan Nation Army (ANA) battalion from Dutch and French troops on Tuesday.
He said team members had already undertaken extensive patrolling with Afghan troops
throughout Oruzgan province, encountering sporadic insurgent activity.
This is the first time since Vietnam that members of an Australian military training
team have gone into action alongside those they are training.
In one contact, Taliban forces opened fire with small arms and rocket-propelled
grenades (RPGs) but withdrew after a 20-minute exchange of fire.
In another incident, a patrol came under Taliban fire but withdrew to remove the
risk of injuring local civilians.
"Last weekend, Taliban insurgents launched an attack against a patrol base manned by
Australian and ANA soldiers," Air Chief Marshal Houston said.
"Rockets and small-arms fire were fired at the patrol base. The insurgent attack was
met with a professional and well coordinated response, including small-arms fire
from the Australian and Afghan soldiers, mortar and artillery support."
In the most recent attack on Tuesday, insurgents fired on an Australian and Afghan
patrol before quickly withdrawing.
Australia has 1,100 troops in Afghanistan, most of which are based in the restive
Oruzgan province.
Afghan President Hamid Karzai has advocated negotiations with Taliban leader Mullah
Omar but Air Chief Marshal Houston said he did not believe the time had yet arrived.
He said there were a number of red lines which Australia would not cross in terms of
negotiating with the Taliban.
"We would not negotiate with anybody who insisted on continuing being armed," he said.
"We would expect them to embrace the Afghan constitution. We would not be prepared
to talk to anybody who had been responsible for the death of Australian soldiers."
Air Chief Marshal Houston said that in any insurgency a time would come for a
political settlement.
"Personally I don't think we are close to that and certainly not in our province,"
he said.
Defence head Air Chief Marshal Angus Houston said the 70-member training team officially took over full responsibility for training an Afghan Nation Army (ANA) battalion from Dutch and French troops on Tuesday.
He said team members had already undertaken extensive patrolling with Afghan troops
throughout Oruzgan province, encountering sporadic insurgent activity.
This is the first time since Vietnam that members of an Australian military training
team have gone into action alongside those they are training.
In one contact, Taliban forces opened fire with small arms and rocket-propelled
grenades (RPGs) but withdrew after a 20-minute exchange of fire.
In another incident, a patrol came under Taliban fire but withdrew to remove the
risk of injuring local civilians.
"Last weekend, Taliban insurgents launched an attack against a patrol base manned by
Australian and ANA soldiers," Air Chief Marshal Houston said.
"Rockets and small-arms fire were fired at the patrol base. The insurgent attack was
met with a professional and well coordinated response, including small-arms fire
from the Australian and Afghan soldiers, mortar and artillery support."
In the most recent attack on Tuesday, insurgents fired on an Australian and Afghan
patrol before quickly withdrawing.
Australia has 1,100 troops in Afghanistan, most of which are based in the restive
Oruzgan province.
Afghan President Hamid Karzai has advocated negotiations with Taliban leader Mullah
Omar but Air Chief Marshal Houston said he did not believe the time had yet arrived.
He said there were a number of red lines which Australia would not cross in terms of
negotiating with the Taliban.
"We would not negotiate with anybody who insisted on continuing being armed," he said.
"We would expect them to embrace the Afghan constitution. We would not be prepared
to talk to anybody who had been responsible for the death of Australian soldiers."
Air Chief Marshal Houston said that in any insurgency a time would come for a
political settlement.
"Personally I don't think we are close to that and certainly not in our province,"
he said.
