AUSTRALIAN Prime Minister Kevin Rudd has no intention of sending more soldiers to Afghanistan despite Britain increasing its troop numbers. Britain has announced it will send another 500 troops to Afghanistan, a move welcomed by the United States.
But Mr Rudd today said that Australian troops would return from Afghanistan once their mission in Oruzgan province was completed.
Australian currently has about 1500 troops in the country, based in the southern Oruzgan Province.
"The Australian deployment was increased by 40 per cent only some months ago," Mr Rudd said.
"Our mission in Oruzgan province is clear cut; that is, our mission statement is to train the Afghan national army and Afghan security forces to take control of the security of that province.
"Once that mission is completed and we hand over our responsibility to that provincial authority, then of course Australia's mission will be concluded and our troops would come home."
"We made our position quite clear some months ago in terms of the appropriate force for Australia in order to achieve the mission which I have defined for Australia," he said.
Source: Herald Sun
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