Roundup: Australia to redeploy troops to Afghanistan

Australian Prime Minister on Wednesday announced that Australia will send 150 troops to Afghanistan at the request of the United States, Afghanistan and others to combat the regrouping of Taliban and al-Qaeda networks.

The troops, comprising SAS (Special Air Services) soldiers, commandos and logistic support, will be deployed in September, when parliamentary elections will be held in the war-ravaged country.

The fresh troops will stay there for 12 months working with the US troops.

Howard said the troops will be back home ahead of the 2007 APEC (Asian Pacific Economic Cooperation) summit in Australia's Sydney, which will require a heightened security capacity in Australia.

"It will have a security task which is very similar to the task that was undertaken by an SAS taskforce that went in 2001," Howard said at a press conference.

Australia sent 1,500 strong troops to Afghanistan in 2001 but withdrew all the troops in 2002. There is only one Australian engineer being engaged in mine clearance in the Asian country at present.

Australian Defense Minister Robert Hill said some of Australian new troops will spend time on combat patrol in Afghanistan's remote regions.

"These tasks will be targeted against terrorist groups and their supporters and are likely to include combat patrolling of remote regions as well as reconnaissance and surveillance operations," he said.

The Australian Federal Police is also considering sending a provincial reconstruction team comprising 200 personnel to Afghanistan to help reconstruct the areas ruined in the war.

Howard said Australia will discuss the issue with its allies, adding "if a final decision is taken to send it, then it would go probably in April, May or June of next year."

The redeployment was supported by Australia's federal opposition.

"The opposition has for a long time argued that Afghanistan is terror central and there is direct Australian national interest in ensuring the success of the struggle against the remnants of the former Taliban regime and al-Qaeda," said federal opposition leader Kim Beazley.

Afghanistan's Ambassador Mahmoud Saikal welcomed Australia's decision, describing the troop redeployment as "indeed timely."

He also praised Australia's plan to send a reconstruction team to his country, saying it would be more valuable because Afghanistan needs long term support.

Source: Xinhua