Former Commander Questions Diggers' Afghan Role

World News Australia | Army commanders are undergoing preparations to resume joint activities with local troops in Afghanistan. But retired Major General John Cantwell has questioned whether the high human cost is worth it.

Retired Major General John Cantwell has been scathing of former defence ministers and questioned whether the Afghanistan mission was worth the 38 lives lost.

But there wasn't much of that on Wednesday when the former army chief Peter Leahy launched the major general's new book, Exit Wounds, in the timber-panelled dining room of Canberra's Royal Military College. (READ MORE)

General Criticises Australia's Afghan 'Experiment'

By Chief Political Correspondent Simon Cullen | ABC News | Australia's former top commander in Afghanistan has described the war effort there as an "experiment" that will not end well.
Retired Major General John Cantwell has also criticised how politicians are portraying Australia's role and success in Afghanistan, describing the comments as "misleading".

It is not the first time Mr Cantwell has spoken out about the problems with the war in Afghanistan and has questioned whether it has been worth the lives lost.

His latest criticism of the war comes as Australia prepares to begin handing over control for local security in Uruzgan province to Afghan forces.

"I think it's a very noble and brave and courageous experiment, but I think it's also not going to end well," Mr Cantwell told ABC Radio National.

"Afghanistan is a deeply divided country in so many ways; it's riven by tribal enmities and hatreds, it's divided geographically, it's divided by economy, it's divided by politics, it is a mess and it's a mess which will be in the same terrible condition for decades to come.

"We are deluding ourselves if we think we're going to turn Afghanistan into some little democracy, some gleaming bastion of Westernised ideas in that part of the world.

"It's just not going to happen."

Mr Cantwell has described Australia's mission in Afghanistan as "elastic", given that troops are now involved in a "nation-building" program which is not what they were originally sent there for.

And despite the wonderful work being done by the troops, Mr Cantwell says their role and success has been overstated by politicians back home.
(READ MORE)

SAS Officers Sent to Afghanistan 'To Find Killers of Kiwi Troops'

Afghanistan Sun (ANI) Thursday 20th September, 2012 | Four logistics officers of the New Zealand Special Air Service (SAS) have been sent to Afghanistan to gather intelligence for a retribution attack on insurgents who killed five troops.

The officers, who left last week, are based in Kabul and have been working with the International Stabilisation and Assistance Force and special forces allies.

The Government announced last month the officers would be sent to Afghanistan after three soldiers were killed in the Bamiyan province when a roadside bomb, or improvised explosive device (IED), hit their vehicle.

According to Stuff.co.nz, two weeks earlier two other soldiers were killed in a fire fight with insurgents in the same area.

All five troops were part of New Zealand's provincial reconstruction team based in the province.

According to the report, New Zealand Prime Minister John Key stressed the logistics officers were not combat troops.

"They are working on trying to get better intelligence on the IED bombers and those who undertook the attack against our people," the report quoted him, as saying.

"In the event that we can build that case, because you have to go through quite a legal process, that would allow essentially an attack to be undertaken against those people," he added.
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ADF Ditches Afghan Troop Patrols

World News Australia | Defence Minister Stephen Smith has confirmed Australian troops have halted joint patrols alongside Afghan soldiers because safety fears.

Australian forces in Afghanistan have halted joint patrols alongside Afghan forces amid concerns a controversial film on Islam made in the US could spark more "green on blue" attacks by local soldiers.

The decision came after International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) commander General John Allen directed all allied forces to suspend joint activities below kandak (battalion) level.

It also follows a rise in insider attacks and a surge in violence and protests across the Middle East in response to the film, Innocence of Muslims, which many view as deeply insulting to the Prophet.

But Defence Minister Stephen Smith said on Wednesday the ISAF directive would not halt all partnered activities in Afghanistan.

Missions involving more than 500 troops would continue and smaller operations at company and platoon level will require the approval of the relevant regional commander.

Mr Smith told parliament that no joint patrols below kandak level involving Australian troops had been conducted on Monday and Tuesday.

But Australian and Afghan National Army (ANA) commanders were holding talks about making a case to resume joint patrols.

"I am not putting a timetable on that," Mr Smith said.

"That will be an operational matter.

"In the meantime all commanders have been asked to review forces protection measures and to minimise risk against these so-called insider incidents."

Seven Australian soldiers have died in three attacks by rogue ANA soldiers, and on August 29 three were shot and killed in a single incident.

Australian Greens leader Christine Milne said there was no justification for Australian troops to remain in Afghanistan.

The government had justified the mission on the grounds it needed to mentor Afghan forces to take over security once Australian forces departed in 2014, but was now saying they were not to be trusted.

"It makes no sense - we need to bring our troops home as quickly and as safely as possible," she told reporters.

Government Senate leader Chris Evans said the ISAF directive was temporary and didn't undermine the mission.

"I am not sure that there is anything in the events of the last few days that would cause us to review our fundamental commitment to Afghanistan or our plans for transitioning to local Afghan command of operations," he told the Senate.

Opposition defence spokesman David Johnston said a short term pause was needed to allow the outrage over the film to subside.

"Because of this film, it's crucial that we just take a deep breath and maybe take a little step for a moment to let that subside," he told reporters.

"We have all been to funerals recently (and) these green on blue events are just something we have to get a handle on."

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(VIDEO) Reconstruction Task Force 4 - ADF in Oruzgan

Reconstruction Task Force 4 is expanding its operations North from its base in Tarin Kowt, building a series of patrol bases for use by ISAF and the Afghan National Police and Army. The Task Force is now operating regularly north of Tarin Kowt, an area of great strategic significance to the Taliban Extremists in Oruzgan Province.