- Reaction score
- 2,535
- Points
- 1,260
Good to see one of the keeners of the Commonwealth stepping up to the plate....
PM doubles Afghan troops
Patrick Walters, The Australian online, 22 Feb 07
Article Link
AUSTRALIA is poised to nearly double its military commitment to Afghanistan to about 1000 personnel. Cabinet's national security committee has approved initial planning for the deployment - which includes sending a special forces task group back to Oruzgan province and additional air support - with a Defence team to report back soon on its scope. The result could be the deployment of up to 450 extra personnel and new capabilities, possibly including Black Hawk helicopters and an air defence radar team. The security cabinet is expected to sign off on the new commitment next month, pending the results of a reconnaissance mission to Afghanistan. The plan to commit a new force of up to 250 ground troops - composed of elite SAS and commandos - comes as NATO-led coalition forces face an uphill battle to stabilise Afghanistan and as security in Oruzgan province remains precarious ....
Minister says Australia to send team to Afghanistan to investigate troop increase
Associated Press, via International Herald Tribune, 21 Feb 07
Article Link
Australia will send a military team to Afghanistan to investigate whether the Australian contingent of 500 troops there should be increased, the defense minister said Thursday. Defense Minister Brendan Nelson said he was concerned about the potential for a Taliban spring offensive. Nelson told Australian Broadcasting Corp. radio "a small group of appropriately senior military people from Australia" to would be sent to Oruzgan province to examine the need for a troop increase. "No Australian should be surprised. In fact I would like to think that they would support it if we believed that in fact we had to increase our troop presence in Afghanistan," Nelson said. Most of the Australian military presence is involved in regional reconstruction work. Australian commitment there had bipartisan support although the opposition Labor Party wants the withdrawal of most of the 1,400 Australian troops from in and around Iraq. Nelson declined to comment on a newspaper report Thursday that his government was considering sending up to 450 extra troops with new capabilities, possibly including Black Hawk helicopters and an air defense radar team ....
Australia looks to increase forces in Afghanistan
Reuters, 21 Feb 07
Article Link
Australia is considering plans to double its troop deployment to Afghanistan to about 1,000 to head off an expected spring resurgence of al Qaeda and Taliban fighters, Defense Minister Brendan Nelson said on Thursday. But Nelson ruled out any plans to follow Britain's lead and reduce Australia's military commitments in Iraq, saying any phased withdrawal of soldiers helping provide security in Iraq's south would put the lives of those who remain in danger. Australia has about 1,400 military personnel in and around Iraq, including about 500 soldiers providing security in the country's south, and about 500 in Afghanistan working with Dutch NATO forces in the Uruzgan province. "We are very concerned about the activities of al Qaeda and the Taliban in Afghanistan," Nelson told Australian television on Thursday. "What I have decided to do is to send a small scoping group over to Afghanistan to have a very close look at it." Australia withdrew its special forces commandos from Afghanistan last September, but The Australian newspaper said Australia would send about 250 special forces troops back to Afghanistan, as well as extra helicopter support. Nelson said while Australia had not yet made a formal decision to deploy extra troops to Afghanistan, he had discussed the issue with the Netherlands, British and U.S. governments and Australians should not be surprised if extra troops were sent ....
Australia May Boost Troops in Afghanistan to Counter Taliban
Gemma Daley, Bloomberg wire service, 22 Feb 07
Article Link
Australia may send more troops to Afghanistan to help NATO forces counter Taliban insurgents and is sending a ``scoping team'' to evaluate requirements, Defense Minister Brendan Nelson said. Australians shouldn't be surprised ``if we did decide we need to increase our numbers there,'' Nelson told Sydney Radio 2UE today. He declined to comment on a report in the Australian newspaper that the national security cabinet will next month approve a doubling of the nation's troops in Afghanistan, including commandos and more air support. Australia has 550 soldiers in Afghanistan, including 110 personnel belonging to a CH-47 Chinook helicopter detachment that provides logistical support to coalition partners, according to the Defense Department's Web Site. Prime Minister John Howard on Feb. 19 said Australia's troop deployment in Afghanistan is ``under review.'' ....
No decision made on Afghan troop increase: Nelson
Australian Broadcasting Corporation online, 22 Feb 07
Article Link
The Defence Minister, Dr Brendan Nelson, says Australians should not be surprised if the Federal Government decides to send more troops to Afghanistan. A small military group will travel to the Oruzgan province to assess the situation before a final decision is made. Dr Nelson is concerned about the activities of Al Qaeda in Afghanistan and an expected Taliban offensive in the Spring. He says the United States has already increased troop numbers in eastern Afghanistan. "Before we make any decisions I want to send a small group over there, just to have a look at it on the ground, talk to our own military leaders, the Afghans, the Governor of Oruzgan," he said. "Only then will we make decisions." Afghanistan's Ambassador to Australia, Mohammad Anwarzai, is strongly supporting the idea of sending more troops to his country ....
Special forces to return to Afghanistan
Sydney Morning Herald, 22 Feb 07
Article Link
Australian special forces appear set to return to Afghanistan ahead of an anticipated spring offensive by Taliban and al-Qaeda forces. Defence Minister Brendan Nelson says a small defence force survey team will travel to Afghanistan to determine the shape of a larger commitment. Asked about reports Australia was poised to nearly double its forces in Afghanistan, Dr Nelson told ABC radio that no final decision had been made. But he added: "No Australian should be surprised, in fact I would like to think that they would support it, if we believed that in fact we had to increase our troop presence in Afghanistan." ....
PM doubles Afghan troops
Patrick Walters, The Australian online, 22 Feb 07
Article Link
AUSTRALIA is poised to nearly double its military commitment to Afghanistan to about 1000 personnel. Cabinet's national security committee has approved initial planning for the deployment - which includes sending a special forces task group back to Oruzgan province and additional air support - with a Defence team to report back soon on its scope. The result could be the deployment of up to 450 extra personnel and new capabilities, possibly including Black Hawk helicopters and an air defence radar team. The security cabinet is expected to sign off on the new commitment next month, pending the results of a reconnaissance mission to Afghanistan. The plan to commit a new force of up to 250 ground troops - composed of elite SAS and commandos - comes as NATO-led coalition forces face an uphill battle to stabilise Afghanistan and as security in Oruzgan province remains precarious ....
Minister says Australia to send team to Afghanistan to investigate troop increase
Associated Press, via International Herald Tribune, 21 Feb 07
Article Link
Australia will send a military team to Afghanistan to investigate whether the Australian contingent of 500 troops there should be increased, the defense minister said Thursday. Defense Minister Brendan Nelson said he was concerned about the potential for a Taliban spring offensive. Nelson told Australian Broadcasting Corp. radio "a small group of appropriately senior military people from Australia" to would be sent to Oruzgan province to examine the need for a troop increase. "No Australian should be surprised. In fact I would like to think that they would support it if we believed that in fact we had to increase our troop presence in Afghanistan," Nelson said. Most of the Australian military presence is involved in regional reconstruction work. Australian commitment there had bipartisan support although the opposition Labor Party wants the withdrawal of most of the 1,400 Australian troops from in and around Iraq. Nelson declined to comment on a newspaper report Thursday that his government was considering sending up to 450 extra troops with new capabilities, possibly including Black Hawk helicopters and an air defense radar team ....
Australia looks to increase forces in Afghanistan
Reuters, 21 Feb 07
Article Link
Australia is considering plans to double its troop deployment to Afghanistan to about 1,000 to head off an expected spring resurgence of al Qaeda and Taliban fighters, Defense Minister Brendan Nelson said on Thursday. But Nelson ruled out any plans to follow Britain's lead and reduce Australia's military commitments in Iraq, saying any phased withdrawal of soldiers helping provide security in Iraq's south would put the lives of those who remain in danger. Australia has about 1,400 military personnel in and around Iraq, including about 500 soldiers providing security in the country's south, and about 500 in Afghanistan working with Dutch NATO forces in the Uruzgan province. "We are very concerned about the activities of al Qaeda and the Taliban in Afghanistan," Nelson told Australian television on Thursday. "What I have decided to do is to send a small scoping group over to Afghanistan to have a very close look at it." Australia withdrew its special forces commandos from Afghanistan last September, but The Australian newspaper said Australia would send about 250 special forces troops back to Afghanistan, as well as extra helicopter support. Nelson said while Australia had not yet made a formal decision to deploy extra troops to Afghanistan, he had discussed the issue with the Netherlands, British and U.S. governments and Australians should not be surprised if extra troops were sent ....
Australia May Boost Troops in Afghanistan to Counter Taliban
Gemma Daley, Bloomberg wire service, 22 Feb 07
Article Link
Australia may send more troops to Afghanistan to help NATO forces counter Taliban insurgents and is sending a ``scoping team'' to evaluate requirements, Defense Minister Brendan Nelson said. Australians shouldn't be surprised ``if we did decide we need to increase our numbers there,'' Nelson told Sydney Radio 2UE today. He declined to comment on a report in the Australian newspaper that the national security cabinet will next month approve a doubling of the nation's troops in Afghanistan, including commandos and more air support. Australia has 550 soldiers in Afghanistan, including 110 personnel belonging to a CH-47 Chinook helicopter detachment that provides logistical support to coalition partners, according to the Defense Department's Web Site. Prime Minister John Howard on Feb. 19 said Australia's troop deployment in Afghanistan is ``under review.'' ....
No decision made on Afghan troop increase: Nelson
Australian Broadcasting Corporation online, 22 Feb 07
Article Link
The Defence Minister, Dr Brendan Nelson, says Australians should not be surprised if the Federal Government decides to send more troops to Afghanistan. A small military group will travel to the Oruzgan province to assess the situation before a final decision is made. Dr Nelson is concerned about the activities of Al Qaeda in Afghanistan and an expected Taliban offensive in the Spring. He says the United States has already increased troop numbers in eastern Afghanistan. "Before we make any decisions I want to send a small group over there, just to have a look at it on the ground, talk to our own military leaders, the Afghans, the Governor of Oruzgan," he said. "Only then will we make decisions." Afghanistan's Ambassador to Australia, Mohammad Anwarzai, is strongly supporting the idea of sending more troops to his country ....
Special forces to return to Afghanistan
Sydney Morning Herald, 22 Feb 07
Article Link
Australian special forces appear set to return to Afghanistan ahead of an anticipated spring offensive by Taliban and al-Qaeda forces. Defence Minister Brendan Nelson says a small defence force survey team will travel to Afghanistan to determine the shape of a larger commitment. Asked about reports Australia was poised to nearly double its forces in Afghanistan, Dr Nelson told ABC radio that no final decision had been made. But he added: "No Australian should be surprised, in fact I would like to think that they would support it, if we believed that in fact we had to increase our troop presence in Afghanistan." ....
