28-October-2010
Speeches, Foreign Affairs
28 October 2010
On 7 October, 2001 President Bush ordered strikes against al-Qaeda terrorist training camps and military installations of the Taliban regime in Afghanistan.
This followed the barbaric, cold blooded terrorist attacks on New York’s World Trade Centre, the Pentagon and four commercial airliners. Over 5000 people were brutally murdered, from around 80 countries, including 22 Australians.
The attacks were not simply an assault on America.
It was an attack on all people in the world who have a commitment to freedom and liberty; an attack on all those who hold immutable the right to individual freedom, democracy, human rights, religious tolerance and the free flow of global trade and commerce.
Australia joined the UN-led International Coalition against Terrorism after invoking the mutual-defence clauses of the ANZUS Treaty on 14 September, 2001. This was the first time the Treaty’s clauses on acting to meet a common danger had been invoked since it was enacted in 1952.
Australia’s commitment became part of the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) operations and activities in Afghanistan after ISAF was established via a unanimous resolution of the US Security Council.
Today, nine years later, a force of 120,000 troops from 47 countries remain part of the NATO-led operations in Afghanistan.
Australian combat deaths have reached 21, with 152 wounded in action.
The ultimate sacrifice by these young men, the grief of their families and friends and the continuing commitment of our 1550 troops still in Afghanistan warrant not only our lasting support and gratitude, but also a clear explanation by this Parliament of our future involvement, our strategy.
The immediate goal of the NATO led operations in Afghanistan were to “seek out and destroy al-Qaeda” and ensure that “Afghanistan can never again serve as a base from which terrorists can operate”.
In 2001 John Howard spelt out that while the destruction of the al-Qaeda network was our first priority, the “long term aim of this war is to demonstrate that organised, international, state-sanctioned terrorism will not be tolerated by the world community”.
The question before us today is to assess the extent to which our efforts in Afghanistan to date have helped to achieve these objectives, and the merit and nature of any continued involvement.
Twelve months after joining the security mission in Afghanistan, Australia withdrew its combat force after the defeat of much of the Taliban, al-Qaeda and the factional warlords, and the focus then shifted to Iraq.
Yet, within three years we again deployed Special Forces because of the re-emergence of the threat due to the re-grouping of insurgent forces.
In the meantime a new face of Islamic terrorism emerged via home grown terrorists, with bombings in London. This highlighted the global impact of the training role of terrorists in Afghanistan and parts of Pakistan.
As well, Australia suffered a huge number of civilian casualties in two bombings, 3 years apart, in Bali, and the world observed terrorism cells emerge in Pakistan, Somalia and Yemen, and al-Qaeda was very active in Iraq.
The fact is that Islamic terrorists have continued their attempts at spreading global fear and terror.
In the 8 years before 9/11 there were six significant attacks by the terrorist group al-Qaeda. In the 9 years since 9/11 there have been more than 48 significant al-Qaeda attacks, with over half of them in the last four years.
These figures of growing al-Qaeda activity mask the success of concerted international action on the intelligence, law enforcement and financial fronts.
Over the past nine years it is evident that the terrorist bombings have increasingly occurred in Muslim countries, albeit often with Westerners as their intended target.
No doubt many plans have been made to continue to spread terror in Europe and North America, and other Western countries, but many hundreds of terrorist plots have been foiled.
Clearly, the responsibility and actions of free countries to first, and foremost, protect their citizens and interests at home and abroad, have been remarkably, and increasingly effective.
Yet, radical Islam remains the greatest threat facing the world. Not only do non-Muslims face the problem, moderate Muslims need to accept that it is also their problem.
Australia is a nation blessed with peace. Yet, in a world of random and wanton terror, there can be no peace unless we deal with the threat.
This threat of terrorism includes the increasing danger of terrorists getting possession of nuclear, radiological, chemical and biological weapons.
We know that al-Qaeda and its affiliates are eager to obtain these types of destructive weapons.
If these aims were to be achieved the potential to cause enormous damage and loss of life in our cities would be enormous.
This threat underlines the vital need of the civilised world to maintain maximum pressure on terrorist organisations wherever they may be operating around the globe.
This growing threat makes it extremely important for the effort in Afghanistan to succeed; and makes it just as important to see related efforts in Pakistan succeed.
Failure, or premature withdrawal from Afghanistan, would be very badly interpreted by those countries inhabited by unwanted terrorist cells, such as Pakistan, and celebrated by Islamic terrorists themselves.
It would see countries lose confidence in the resolve of the developed world. In turn these countries would themselves lose resolve.
It would encourage efforts by local authorities to seek accommodations with terrorists rather than continued resistance. Yet, attempts to appease evil elements never succeed.
It would also greatly embolden terrorist elements.
The current objectives of the UN-led forces to stabilise Afghanistan by military and economic means, to train the Afghan National Army and security forces to the point where they can provide for the nation’s security and to prevent the terrorists regaining any hold over the Government in Kabul, and at local levels, must be followed through.
Real progress is being made:
- In January 2009, Afghan Security Forces numbered 156,000, today there are more than 231,000 ANSF members.
- Schools have been reopened for the first time in years – school enrolment has increased from less than 1 million when the Taliban fell, to more than 6 million, with more than 2 million of these females.
- 85 per cent of the population can now access some type of healthcare facility within one hour.
- In 2001 there were less than 1 million in the Kabul region, now there are more than 5 million.
- More than 5 million Afghan refugees have returned home.
- And today, 70 per cent of Afghans believe that their children will live in a peaceful and secure Afghanistan, despite more than 30 years of continuous war.
While patience was always central to success in Afghanistan and Pakistan, the UN-led forces should nevertheless aim to achieve these outcomes as quickly as possible.
This underscores the importance of providing sufficient fire power and other resources.
If the Government is to rely as much as they do on our military leaders’ advice on appropriate levels of resources required to achieve each strategic objective, then these military advisers must be held more accountable for the achievement or non achievement of these outcomes.
Consideration should be given to a forum for our military leaders and parliamentarians, similar to the Congressional hearings of US generals in the United States, which would not only bring greater accountability to our military leaders but, importantly, better inform the parliamentarians who must take greater, and ultimate, responsibility.
Rather than setting a particular withdrawal date for the UN-led forces, the achievement of these outcomes should determine the exit strategy. Otherwise the insurgents may decide to simply sit out the prescribed exit date.
In saying as much, there must be a clear recognition that achieving a stabilised situation in Afghanistan, which denies terrorists a safe haven there, requires the Pakistani Government to be willing and able to stabilise its own border with Afghanistan.
At the moment this border region is a development zone for jihadi terrorists.
History cannot be allowed to repeat itself, where the US assisted both Afghanistan and Pakistan to remove the Soviet Union in the 1980’s, then left Pakistan to deal with a politically unstable Afghanistan, and an obliging Taliban willing to help Pakistan end the conflict.
This Taliban and Kabul connection also provided Pakistan with a counter-weight to India.
An effective ongoing partnership with Pakistan is inextricably linked to success in Afghanistan. Pakistan must not be left to pick up the pieces.
Australia should be prepared to help the US and other countries support Pakistan deal with its huge challenges – not only militarily, but also with debilitating regional issues like the recent devastating floods which will create local social and political problems for years to come.
Pakistan must know that the West is strongly committed to Pakistan’s security and prosperity. Unfortunately, many Pakistani’s view the West as a threat, not as a partner.
Changing this perception is a major and critical challenge.
In due course, the timing and nature of the departure of UN-led forces from Afghanistan is critical. In particular, it must be done in a way which maintains the military credibility of the US.
In the decade ahead the security resources of the UN countries, and particularly the United States, must be progressively freed up to deal with the more global positioning of terrorist cells, and other non-terror related strategic challenges.
It is particularly in Australia’s interests to see the US presence and standing in the Asia Pacific undiminished in the coming decades as China presents increasing challenges, especially for the West Pacific region, as its military capability continues to rapidly increase.
Our mission in Afghanistan is now clearly defined. It is to:
- Help reconstruct and build the economic fabric of Afghanistan,
- Train the Afghan National Army, and security forces to take over security of their population, and
- With the Afghan National Security Forces fight the battles needed to secure the population centres.
Our mission is just.
Our mission is critical.
Our mission involves a transition strategy which is working.
The date of our exit should be determined by the achievement of the above outcomes and not dictated by a nominated point in time.
All that remains is that we maintain the courage of our convictions and the commitment of necessary resources in a timely fashion.
Global terrorism will remain a fact of life for a long time into the future. It will require ongoing management, resolve and vigilance.