Afghan re-run for Diggers (Australian troops heading BACK to Afghanistan)

[Roland99]

http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5744,15913356%255E31477,00.html

UP to 150 elite Australian forces could be fighting in the wild border areas of Afghanistan within weeks after cabinet agreed last night to recommit troops, almost three years after pulling out of the strife-torn nation.

The combat force could be the first phase of a wider operation tipped to include Black Hawk helicopters, support teams and engineers in the renewed hunt for Osama bin Laden. It would take the total new commitment in Afghanistan to up to 400 Australians, with a combined force of SAS troops, commandos and experts on chemical warfare.

The Australian troops would also battle resurgent Taliban forces and provide direct assistance to US forces, which have suffered heavy casualties in the mountainous border region in recent weeks.

As the last body of a group of American commandos was recovered yesterday, the US announced an extra 700 troops for Afghanistan.

I thought Afghanistan was liberated and the Taliban and Al Qaeda were eliminated from Afghanistan?

Why is the US *and* Australia (*and* Britain) sending *more* troops over to Afghanistan?!

[GregW]

1. First Gallipoli, then Vietnam, now Afghanistan!

Why do the poor, bloody Anzacs keep getting stuck fighting someone else's war!

[Roland99]

2. Any defense contracts subcontracted out to Aussie companies?

[soaky]

7. not the anzacs

new zealand had the guts and sense to stay out of Iraq and Afghanistan :)

[cal04]

3. Australia to send troops to back Afghanistan

Australia plans to send up to 400 troops, including elite special forces and construction engineers, to Afghanistan to help hunt down a resurgent al Qaeda, Australian newspapers said on Wednesday. Prime Minister John Howard and his cabinet met for several hours on Tuesday to consider the deployment to provide direct assistance to U.S. forces, which have suffered their worst combat losses in Afghanistan in recent weeks. The Australian newspaper said the cabinet decided to send 150 special forces, as well as Black Hawk helicopters and engineers back to Afghanistan. The Australian Financial Review said up to 300 engineers with an infantry protection group were likely to be sent, alongside about 75 special forces.

Treasurer Peter Costello said Howard would make an announcement later on Wednesday, but that Australia's defense forces were in a strong position to help, due to a winding down of commitments in East Timor and the Solomon Islands.
"That means that our forces have adequate capability to meet the needs where they can help the fight against terrorism, whether it be in Afghanistan or anywhere else," Costello told Australian television on Wednesday.

Australia, a close ally of the United States, sent 1,550 troops to Afghanistan in 2001 to join the U.S.-led strikes that toppled the ruling Taliban, which was harboring Islamic militant network al Qaeda.The troops were withdrawn by late 2002 and Australia currently has just one army officer in Afghanistan.

http://www.swissinfo.org/sen/swissinfo.html?siteSect=143&sid=5938710&cKey=1121208670000

http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5744,15913356%255E601,00.html

[krkaufman]

4. As are the Brits

Just read yesterday that the Brits are also looking to shift forces from Iraq to Afghanistan.

I'll omit the obvious tirade.

[Cha]

5. Oh, you mean like

.."Why the Fuck didn't they do that in the FIRST PLACE?!"

[krkaufman]

6. Yes, along those lines.

(As in "We had bin Laden frickin' cornered in Tora Bora just 72 days after 9/11, but instead redirected Tommy Franks to start planning for an Iraq invasion!! Now we've got 2 unstable countries, rather than 1 stable country and 1 contained dictatorship. ")

[soaky]

8. press conference in progress here

Howard confirming the group of 150 SAS etc to be sent and in place by september, for 12 months.

[Roland99]

9. Maybe the Aussies can do what * couldn't...catch bin Laden