Phillip Barresi (Deakin, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is addressed to the Minister for Defence. Would the minister advise the House on the composition of the Australian Defence Force commitment to Iraq and Afghanistan?

Brendan Nelson (Bradfield, Liberal Party, Minister for Defence) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Deakin for his question and for his very strong support of the Australian men and women who wear our Defence uniform. At the moment, the Australian Defence Force is deployed in 10 locations throughout the world. Four of those locations are quite significant at the least, and they include Afghanistan and Iraq. In Afghanistan at the moment our troops are based predominantly at Tarin Kowt in the province of Uruzgan in southern central Afghanistan. Some 400 are based there and, of those, 270 are tradesmen and women and engineers who are involved in reconstructing roads and water projects, helping with hospital programs and providing a range of trade training activities for the Afghan people. We are working in partnership with the Dutch who are based at Tarin Kowt. The Dutch are with us under the NATO forces; they have around 1,400 soldiers who are working alongside us.

We also have at Tarin Kowt a company of 120 soldiers, supported by infantry mobility vehicles. Australians may not appreciate it but at Kandahar in Afghanistan are two Chinook helicopters supported by 110 Army personnel. Every Australian should be very proud of the work they are doing not only in engaging in aeromedical evacuation of the injured in the confrontations that are occurring with the Taliban but also in their in efforts in getting our troops to where they need to be and in getting them out in times of emergency.

We currently have 1,400 troops—sailors, airmen and women—across Iraq. Of those, 110 are based in Baghdad, with their light armoured vehicles, and they are providing essential security for our diplomats and officials as they move through the streets of Baghdad. Also, 80 of our people are working in the headquarters in Baghdad, along with our key allies and the Iraqis themselves. Two P3C Orions are based in Iraq, and they have flown 8,000 hours. They provide essential surveillance and information that supports the ground forces—the Iraqi, Australian and coalition forces. Our two C130 Hercules, supported by 150 of our airmen and women, have now flown 1,100 missions. They have carried over two million kilograms of cargo and are essential to the effort.

In the North Arabian Gulf at the moment is HMAS Warramunga, with 180 of its crew. Along with 10 other coalition ships, it is providing essential security and support to two Iraqi oil terminals—Australians should appreciate that oil is responsible for 90 per cent of Iraq’s export income. Then in Tallil 500 of our soldiers are looking after overwatch in two provinces: Al Muthanna, which transferred to the Iraqi provincial control in July this year, and Dekar, which transferred only a few weeks ago. It is important to appreciate that that battle group is in constant dialogue with the provincial government in those two provinces—we have trained almost 200 of the Iraqi security forces in that area—and provides constant support to the tribal leaders and engagement with them.

The parliament should remember what the democratically elected Prime Minister of Iraq said in Washington to the Congress, when he was there at the end of July. This is about the work that Australians have done. He said:

I am proud to witness a historic milestone in new Iraq. Al-Muthanna just became the first province to assume complete responsibility for its law enforcement and security

…            …            …

This is a crucial first step in a sequence of events ultimately leading to Iraq standing entirely on its own.

That is what this is about. Afghanistan and Iraq and in other places where we send our troops is about helping people to stand on their own and to project our force always with a kind heart.