'Bold' Taliban raid on base could mark new stage in war
July 17, 2008: THE dawn raid by about 200 militants on a US base in eastern Afghanistan at the weekend could be the harbinger of a dangerous new phase in the war there, according to Joel Fitzgibbon.
The Defence Minister told The Australian the attack, in which nine US soldiers were killed, reinforced the message that Afghanistan "remains a dangerous place and our work there is far from complete in a military sense".
He added he was also a "bit curious about that attack" and he was going to discuss it with Vice-President Dick Cheney and Defence Secretary Robert Gates in meetings he was due to hold overnight.
Mr Fitzgibbon said he was worried it could have been a cross-border attack by al-Qa'ida insurgents out of Pakistan.
The US base near the village of Wanat is close to Pakistan's border, and where al-Qa'ida has been attempting to rebuild its strength. It has long been assumed that Osama bin Laden is also holed up in the region.
"It was a very bolshie and bold offensive in which the insurgents would have seen significant casualties on their own side and it's the sort of boldness we don't see," Mr Fitzgibbon said.
"It will be interesting to know where they were from and what generated such boldness."
The attack was the deadliest incident for US forces in Afghanistan since June 2005, when 16 American soldiers died in a rocket-propelled grenade attack on their helicopter.
Mr Fitzgibbon yesterday spoke about the US and Australian alliance, and the Asia-Pacific, at a joint forum hosted by Washington think tank the Brookings Institution and Sydney's Lowy Institute.
Explaining the Rudd Government's decision to draw down combat forces in Iraq, he told the 100 or so gathered that Australia's combat forces were needed in the Asia-Pacific.
Mr Fitzgibbon said that about half of the army's infantry and cavalry were tied up in East Timor, Iraq and Afghanistan, and a sustained period of high operational tempo had placed strains on other parts of the Australian Defence Force.
"It is the new Government's view that restoring our capacity to play a lead role in maintaining peace and stability in Melanesia is more important than an overwatch role in Iraq where really our work was done," Mr Fitzgibbon said.
Thursday, July 17, 2008
'Bold' Taliban raid on base could mark new stage in war
'Bold' Taliban raid on base could mark new stage in war
July 17, 2008: THE dawn raid by about 200 militants on a US base in eastern Afghanistan at the weekend could be the harbinger of a dangerous new phase in the war there, according to Joel Fitzgibbon.
The Defence Minister told The Australian the attack, in which nine US soldiers were killed, reinforced the message that Afghanistan "remains a dangerous place and our work there is far from complete in a military sense".
He added he was also a "bit curious about that attack" and he was going to discuss it with Vice-President Dick Cheney and Defence Secretary Robert Gates in meetings he was due to hold overnight.
Mr Fitzgibbon said he was worried it could have been a cross-border attack by al-Qa'ida insurgents out of Pakistan.
The US base near the village of Wanat is close to Pakistan's border, and where al-Qa'ida has been attempting to rebuild its strength. It has long been assumed that Osama bin Laden is also holed up in the region.
"It was a very bolshie and bold offensive in which the insurgents would have seen significant casualties on their own side and it's the sort of boldness we don't see," Mr Fitzgibbon said.
"It will be interesting to know where they were from and what generated such boldness."
The attack was the deadliest incident for US forces in Afghanistan since June 2005, when 16 American soldiers died in a rocket-propelled grenade attack on their helicopter.
Mr Fitzgibbon yesterday spoke about the US and Australian alliance, and the Asia-Pacific, at a joint forum hosted by Washington think tank the Brookings Institution and Sydney's Lowy Institute.
Explaining the Rudd Government's decision to draw down combat forces in Iraq, he told the 100 or so gathered that Australia's combat forces were needed in the Asia-Pacific.
Mr Fitzgibbon said that about half of the army's infantry and cavalry were tied up in East Timor, Iraq and Afghanistan, and a sustained period of high operational tempo had placed strains on other parts of the Australian Defence Force.
"It is the new Government's view that restoring our capacity to play a lead role in maintaining peace and stability in Melanesia is more important than an overwatch role in Iraq where really our work was done," Mr Fitzgibbon said.
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