Australias Participation in War in Afghanistan - Essay Example

?Australia’s Participation in War in Afghanistan Australian military’s participation in war going on against Taliban in collaboration with the Afghanistan government was initiated as part of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO)-led forces with the aim of bringing Afghanistan back on the track of development, governance, economic growth and defence against aggression and extremism from the Taliban. The main aim of the government in supporting the US initiative was to control the transnational terrorist networks from expanding the roots of terror deeply in Afghanistan. Participation by Australia has helped in realising the goal of the coalition strategy. Australian forces are partnering with the US-led Combined team to focus on Uruzgan Province along with many other ISAF partner countries to disable insurgent networks besides helping the Afghanistan government to build up core services for the local communities and undergo long-term socio-economic growth. 1 Participation of Australia in Afghanistan is not limited to fighting the insurgents only; the Australian government has also engaged itself politically through its civilian officers in the ongoing process. Although the conditions for the soldiers have been very harsh and difficult in southern Afghanistan where 23 Australian soldiers have lost their lives while performing their duties yet the ‘3-D’ strategy of the Australian government of ___________________________ 1 Khosa, “Introduction: Transition and Australia’s Afghanistan Endgame”, 1. diplomacy, development and defence is structured to guide the troops, which is the maximum limit, Australia can go as a partner state to NATO-led forces within the given resources. Australian participation in the war against insurgency in Afghanistan won’t impact greatly on the strategic issues confronting the coalition, particularly the complex regional aspects of the fighting between the coalition-led forces and the Taliban. The best bet for Australia is to attempt pursuing realistic results with the extent of risk it can take in the field of its functioning. It is expected from the ANSF to efficiently manage the security challenges in Uruzgan under the Afghanistan government with the logistic help from ISAF, as the final responsibility of establishing law & order, running efficiently the public administration and arranging essential services at the provincial, district, and community level, financed through national programmes and socio-economic progress based on a robust agrarian economy in Uruzgan depends on the government of Afghanistan only. 2 It is expected that Australian military involvement will continue for 1 more year, as Prime Minister Julia Gillard stated while appreciating the stance taken by Afghanistan to takeover security in parts of the country from coalition-led forces. Hamid Karzai, the Afghan President is hopeful that the process of power change would start in July and by 2014 would be accomplished, which Ms Gillard has stated a “significant step”. On its part, Ms Gillard has shown solidarity with the Afghanistan cause by providing training to _________________________________ 2. Ibid the Fourth Brigade of the Afghan National Army in the southern province of Uruzgan with the strength of its 1,550 soldiers. It is expected that the changeover in Uruzgan province and its districts might start anytime with the next 1 to 3 years. Stephan Smith, the Defence Minister, has also appreciated the decision of Mr. Karzai. The Afghan National Security Force is getting strong enough with the backing of the Combined Team-Uruzgan in capturing the lost grounds all through the Uruzgan province. 3 The life of Australian soldiers functioning from far-away Afghan base has been quite harsh with the approaching summer season and Platoon House Hamid is getting ready to shift to another base with the transfer of area only week away; only Australian mentors would be there with the Afghan National Army. The whole Uruzgan province would pass through the process of changeover of military command to the Afghan forces. It is yet not clear whether the combined forces would be challenged by the insurgent forces as their strength on this count is doubtful. According to Lieutenant Colonel Darren Huxley, commanding officer of Mentoring Task Force 2, nothing can be stated for sure in the ensuing fighting season. "I think we are very cautious about the intensity of it. We have had a great winter. We have moved into positions with virtually being uncontested," he said. 4 Life of Australian soldiers in camps like Platoon House Hamid is very harsh; they have to adjust in 30 by 30 metres, remaining without shower for months and changing ________________________________________ 3. Ibid. 4. Sara, “Mixed Feelings”. shifts every 90 minutes. Enemy won’t appear in a properly dressed military uniform but any body that could be an armed farmer, a $10 Taliban or some totally new face returned off late from bordering country Pakistan because of cold climate in Afghanistan. Taliban counter-attack is a huge possibility. Even Defence Minister Stephen Smith is serious of such a possibility because the Taliban would try hard to gain back lost ground to diggers during Afghan winter. Summer season, the “fighting season,” approaching fast would increase the intensity of clashes with the added strength gained by Taliban in summer season. Time would be hard in the months of April and May although a formal fight date depends on the weather. The Australian forces are getting prepared for any eventuality. Taliban attack on the government forces has already begun starting with the targeting of defence ministry building in Kabul. Their strategy has been to succeed through suicide bombings as it happened at the military base near the eastern city of Jalalabad where the suicide bomber attired in military uniform killed him along with 10 Afghan soldiers. Taliban have started targeting high profile policemen the like of police chief of Kandahar province, which gives the inclination that war will not end when NATO-coalition nations withdraw their troops from Afghanistan assuming that peace will prevail in the devastated country. 5 Another issue has surfaced recently of sending the Australian female soldiers to Afghanistan, as has been proposed by female politicians in Afghanistan along with the news that female cadet soldiers are performing patrol exercise in Queensland with the _________________________________ 5. ABC News, “Diggers Braced”. purpose of ‘civilising’ Afghan men through behaviour learning. Other countries such as Canada have sent their female soldiers. All depends on the Afghan government to approve or not the entry of Australian female diggers. Environment is not conducive as perception of different classes such as political, religious and military people feel that female diggers would become easy target of Taliban. Shinkai Karokhail, a female member of the Afghan parliament, is favouring such a move to bring change in the perceptions of Afghan soldiers that women can serve the country not only by working as home makers but performing all odd jobs not meant to be performed by them by the larger society of religious groups and military. The idea behind is to change the social conservative outlook of the society, majorly men that women force can be equal partner in sharing the nation building responsibilities, which can best be learnt by seeing. Both perspectives are right in their outlook, therefore Australian female soldiers are preparing themselves for the arduous task of giving crucial social norms changing lessons and setting new trends for the Afghan women and society at large that when it comes to safety and honour of safeguarding the country, the women soldiers can play crucial role. Already female Australian soldiers, including medics, intelligence and public affairs officers, are venturing out on combat patrols with male diggers in Afghanistan. Yet another initiative by the Australian Defence Force by appointing all-women units called the Female Engagement Teams has been taken to be familiar with Afghan women, which is worth appreciation. 6 _______________________________ 6. Sara, “Female Soldiers”. Controversies have been raging over mistreatment meted out to Afghan detainees by the Australian soldiers. Any such misdemeanour is enquired and reported to the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) and related human rights organisations. Any such offence made by the soldiers on the battlefield is against the national security policy of Australia and also against the legal abidance basis in the context of international relations. Such allegations by the captured and suspected to be insurgents are not always true. Presently, after the Dutch withdrawal from Afghanistan, the responsibility of processing insurgents captured by the Australian and other forces in Uruzgan province remains with the Defence Force. 7 Two Australian soldiers have been charged of killing six Afghan civilians while conducting night-time operation in which four were children and out of 4 injured two were children and two adults. Pre-trial directions for two soldiers are supposed to take place in Sydney before actual trial is made while the third soldier faces a general court martial. The issue has been debated in the defence circles with the Australian Defence Association Head, Neil James, blaming the director of military prosecutions functioning beyond the Australian Defence Force chain of command but the charges are very serious of indulging in manslaughter and not following orders by the three commandos of the Australian forces. Soldiers are also being provided the best possible legal, administrative, medical and welfare support. 6 Until the war is going on in Afghanistan, forces might have to stay longer time amidst all complexities and issues faced by the Australian ________________________________________ 7. . ABC News, “Soldiers Accused”. 8. ABC News, “Trial Date”. Government and forces while going with the international community and NATO-led Combined initiative. Bibliography ABC News. “Trial Date Set for Soldiers Charged over Deadly Raid.” ABC News Afghanistan, March 23, 2011. http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2011/03/23/3171893.htm (accessed June 10, 2011). ABC News. “Soldiers Accused of Mistreating Afghan Detainees.” ABC News Afghanistan, March 23, 2011. http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2011/03/23/3171935.htm (accessed June 10, 2011). ABC News. “Gillard Welcomes Afghan Security Transition”. ABC News Afghanistan, March 23, 2011. http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2011/03/23/3171932.htm (accessed June 10, 2011). ABC News. “Diggers Braced for Taliban Counter-Attacks”. ABC News Afghanistan, April 20, 2011. http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2011/04/20/3196157.htm (accessed June 10, 2011). Khosa, Raspal. “Introduction: Transition and Australia’s Afghanistan Endgame.” Paper presented by the ASPI Strategic Policy Forum, Australia. March 10, 2011. http://www.aspi.org.au/research/spf.aspx (accessed June 10, 2011). Sara, Sally. “Mixed Feelings for Diggers in Afghan Forward Base.” ABC News Afghanistan, April 25, 2011. http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2011/04/25/3199618.htm (accessed June 10, 2011). Sara, Sally. “Female Soldiers could 'Civilise' Afghan Men”. ABC News Afghanistan, April 13, 2011. http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2011/04/13/3190050.htm (accessed June 10, 2011). Read More