Uncertainty over Afghan withdrawal
Australia's Tarin Kowt base is set to close by year's end. For Afghan authorities, some confusion remains over the timing and extent of the troop withdrawal.
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Most Australian forces could be out of Afghanistan within nine months after the Gillard government announced it would close down the main base at Tarin Kowt by the end of the year.
Defence Minister Stephen Smith told reporters on Tuesday morning that at least 1000 regular troops - of a present force of about 1650 - would leave the country after the closure of Tarin Kowt Multi National Base in Uruzgan province.
Previously the government has always flagged keeping special forces in the country next year and perhaps beyond 2015 if other countries such as the US plan similar continuing involvement and if a legal mandate can be agreed with the Afghan government.
Defence Minister Stephen Smith (right) and Chief of the Defence Force General David Hurley (left) announce the Tarin Kowt base will be closed down by the end of the year. Photo: Alex Ellinghausen
But Mr Smith said on Tuesday that even the special forces could be out by the end of this year.
''We've got to make a judgment about what, if any, contribution is made by special forces. That will ultimately depend . . . on what the mandate, if any, is for special forces post-2015,'' he said.
''If we come to the conclusion that there's no role for special forces in 2014 and no role for special forces in 2015 . . . then at the end of 2013, the special forces will come back like everyone else.''
The closure of Tarin Kowt meant that Australia ''would no longer have a permanent presence in Uruzgan province and the majority of Australian defence force personnel will return from Afghanistan to Australia'', he said.
The formal date by which security in Afghanistan is fully handed over to the Afghan government is the end of 2014 - as agreed by the international coalition of countries at the Lisbon and Chicago summits.
Australia's decision whether to keep a special forces contingent in Afghanistan beyond 2014 depends on what coalition partners do, and on getting a mandate with the Afghan government that would cover such issues as the legal status of operations.
Mr Smith has repeatedly said Australia is keeping the option open of leaving special forces for training and counter-terrorism.
But Afghan Foreign Minister Zalmai Rassoul said during a visit to Canberra last week that he believed international special forces would be doing training only.
''I think the security co-operation in Afghanistan and Australia is going to be on training our security forces, our special forces but also in the military academy that we are going to have to teach our officers. It's not going to be combat mission.''
Mr Smith and Defence Force chief David Hurley spoke in unusually frank terms about the challenges of the withdrawal on Tuesday.
''What does Afghanistan show?'' Mr Smith said. ''Easiest thing in the world to get in, hardest thing in the world to get out.''
He added: ''On the 1st of January 2015, Afghanistan will not be a perfect society, but the international community has made it clear that it wants to play a continuing role to help ensure that security continues to improve but also to make sure that Afghan institutions, whether it's the army, whether it's the police, whether it's institutions of state, are sufficiently robust to withstand whatever pressure goes on them.''
But while the situation would continue to be difficult and dangerous, Mr Smith said he was confident the Afghan army and police could look after the country's security from 2015.
General Hurley said: ''For journalists to come into Afghanistan and tell me there's corruption, disreputable characters, tribal interplays and whatever, I don't need to be told that. We've lived there for 10 years, nearly. These issues are rife.''
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