Australia Greens urges gov't to withdraw troops from Afghanistan

Australia Greens urges gov't to withdraw troops from Afghanistan

Australian Greens leader Bob Brown on Thursday urged federal government to accelerate Australian troops' withdrawal from Afghanistan, as the assassination of former Afghan president Burhanuddin Rabbani has been portrayed as a big blow to the peace process in Afghanistan.

Senator Brown was responding to comments by former senior Defense Department official Hugh White, who described Australia's military campaign in Afghanistan as a policy failure with "no serious prospect of achieving."

Senator Brown said staying another three years would not make a difference in the strife-torn nation.

"I agree with those analysts who think there will be very little difference between now and 2014 in Afghanistan," he told reporters in Canberra. "I am worried about what will happen in Afghanistan. But ... keeping our troops there for another three years is not going to make one difference to that diffidence or very great concern (that) the Afghani people will settle their own affairs."

Senator Brown expressed concerns that the mission in Afghanistan will be more dangerous following the assassination of Rabbani, and that Australian Defense Force personnel should be brought home now.

Meanwhile, Afghanistan ambassador to Australia, Nasir Ahmad Andisha, has disputed claims that the high-profile assassinations, and the rising death toll among coalition soldiers were evidence that the Taliban was gaining the upper hand.

He also called on the federal government to boost its training mission in Afghanistan before most Australian troops pull out in 2014.

Australia currently has 1,500 troops in Afghanistan, mainly based in Oruzgan Province. So far, 29 Australian soldiers have died and 194 others have been wounded in Afghanistan since 2001.

English.news.cn   2011-09-22 11:39:08 FeedbackPrintRSS
CANBERRA, Sept. 22 (Xinhua)