Last week Barack Obama reiterated that the United States and Australia were on track to hand over to Afghan forces by 2014.
But while the president has announced US withdrawals, Australia has not. Today in parliament, in what will kick off the final parliamentary sitting week of the year, Julia Gillard will deliver a statement on our costly involvement. It’s believed that Gillard, who has recently returned from visiting troops immediately in the wake of the death of three Australian soldiers at the hands of an Afghan soldier, will claim progress in the conflict that has run for over a decade.
There’s been progress on one front — public opinion. As Essential Research reports today, since October last year, support for the withdrawal of Australian troops has increased from 47% to 64%. Just 26% (down 4%) think we should maintain troop numbers and 4% (down 1%) think we should increase them.
There was majority support for withdrawal by all voting groups — 60% of Liberal/National voters, 61% Labor and 75% Greens. Support for withdrawal was also similar across age, gender and income.
One issue that unites across party lines. So why are two desperately populist major parties ignoring it?
Gillard will spout the usual nonsense, as she has in the past on this issue, fast becoming ‘Vietman 2’.
Lets see ‘staying the course’, ‘making progress’, ‘training the Afghan army’. The only progress we are making is that more and more of our soldiers are dying and getting wounded. What sort of progress is that?
How about a poll from the people in Afghanistan.
All reports state that the Afghan people, their government and army don’t want Australian boots on their ground anymore.
But will we listen. No. Do our politicians care about what the people of Ghan want. No.
The American bases have not been finished yet.
Our young men will continue to risk their lives untill Uncle Sam tells us we can leave.
That is the job that is yet to be done.
Dear crikey editorial person, your final (rhetorical) question IS an interesting one.
Occam’s razor would suggest that they are accepting the advice of the ADF and military strategists that this is the best thing to do.
Is there another explanation?
I’m fascinated by the 10%, Laberal & Green “don’t know”~ were they checked for a pulse? Or cerebral function?
‘Real’ Julia doesn’t appear to be listening, folks. Nor is the Opposition – complete withdrawal would spell the end of Abbott’s photo ops in military drag.