Team Infidel
Forum Spin Doctor
Financial Times
March 24, 2009
Australia’s commitment of troops to Afghanistan will be one of the main discussion points when Kevin Rudd, Australia’s prime minister, holds his first face-to-face meeting with Barack Obama, US president, on Tuesday, writes Peter Smith in Sydney.
On the eve of his departure for the US, Mr Rudd said Mr Obama had admitted the military and broader political strategy in Afghanistan was “not working”.
“They may put to me a request for further Australian [troop] commitment and I will, together with my colleagues, consider all those things on their merits.
“It doesn’t mean you say yes or say no. It may mean some change in the current configuration of what we do,” Mr Rudd said. “But this all has to be taken one step at a time.” Australia has deployed 1,090 troops to Afghanistan.
The Australian leader said the Nato-led mission must stop al-Qaeda from using Afghanistan as its operating and training base.
“If we are to take the mission seriously in partnership with the Americans and others to continue to deny al-Qaeda these sorts of free range operating bases, then it’s a mission we must support.”
The meeting between the two leaders comes less than a week after a 10th Australian soldier was killed in Afghanistan.
March 24, 2009
Australia’s commitment of troops to Afghanistan will be one of the main discussion points when Kevin Rudd, Australia’s prime minister, holds his first face-to-face meeting with Barack Obama, US president, on Tuesday, writes Peter Smith in Sydney.
On the eve of his departure for the US, Mr Rudd said Mr Obama had admitted the military and broader political strategy in Afghanistan was “not working”.
“They may put to me a request for further Australian [troop] commitment and I will, together with my colleagues, consider all those things on their merits.
“It doesn’t mean you say yes or say no. It may mean some change in the current configuration of what we do,” Mr Rudd said. “But this all has to be taken one step at a time.” Australia has deployed 1,090 troops to Afghanistan.
The Australian leader said the Nato-led mission must stop al-Qaeda from using Afghanistan as its operating and training base.
“If we are to take the mission seriously in partnership with the Americans and others to continue to deny al-Qaeda these sorts of free range operating bases, then it’s a mission we must support.”
The meeting between the two leaders comes less than a week after a 10th Australian soldier was killed in Afghanistan.