Stephen Smith (Perth, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

by leave—I wish to update the House on Afghanistan. Last week I attended the London Conference on Afghanistan. Australia was one of more than 70 countries and international organisations participating in the conference. The conference reaffirmed the international community’s resolve to work with the Afghan government to stare down international terrorism. There was a strong commitment on behalf of the Afghan government and the international community to transfer responsibility for security, development and governance in Afghanistan to the Afghan government.

Australia is the largest non-NATO military contributor to Afghanistan, in the top 10 military contributors overall and one of the top 10 contributors to the Afghanistan Reconstruction Trust Fund. By any measure, Australia makes a substantial contribution both militarily and through civilian and development assistance in Afghanistan, focused on Oruzgan province. The Australian government remains committed to international efforts to bring security and stability to Afghanistan as part of the United Nations mandated International Security Assistance Force (ISAF).

The strategic objective which Australia and our international partners in the international community are pursuing in Afghanistan is clear: it is to ensure that Islamist extremists and terrorist groups are denied safe haven in Afghanistan so that Afghanistan does not remain a breeding ground or hotbed for international terrorists. International terrorism emanating from Afghanistan poses a grave threat to the region and to the international community.

Australia is not immune from this threat. Attacks on Australian citizens have been perpetrated by terrorists trained in Afghanistan and the Afghanistan-Pakistan border area. More than 100 Australians have been killed in terrorist attacks over recent years. Australia made it clear to the Afghan government, both before and after the recent presidential elections, that we needed to see progress on a range of fronts. In this regard, Australia welcomed the undertakings made by President Karzai at the conference to improve governance, pursue electoral reform, take effective anticorruption and antinarcotics measures, and create social and economic opportunities for all the Afghan people. As I underlined in my address to the conference, this must include providing social and economic opportunities for Afghan women and girls.

The first priority for Afghanistan has to be developing the capacity and capability of Afghanistan’s National Security Forces (ANSF). I welcome the Afghan government’s commitment to progressively take responsibility for security. Afghan forces will be critical to providing the conditions for stability and security that will enable development to take place and the effective transfer of security to Afghan responsibility throughout the country. Building the capability of the Afghan army and police aligns with Australia’s approach.

When the Prime Minister announced in April last year that Australia would lift its military commitment from 1,100 to around 1,550 personnel, he made it clear that that commitment would be focused on training and mentoring the Afghan national army in Oruzgan province. Australia is the largest contributor to a trust fund to build the capacity of the Afghan national army, having committed $200 million over five years to the Afghan National Army Trust Fund. We welcome Afghanistan’s commitment to a substantial Afghanistan National Security Forces training target of over 300,000 personnel by the end of 2011 which will be supported by the disbursement of the Afghan National Army Trust Fund.

Australia welcomes the announcement in London by other international partners of additional military and other contributions. Recent announcements have now seen an additional 39,000 troops committed; some 30,000 by the United States and 9,000 by other international partners. There was a broad and welcome recognition among the conference participants that military efforts alone will not be sufficient to achieve our objectives in Afghanistan. Alongside an effective military strategy there needs to be a more mature and concerted civilian and political effort, embracing development and capacity building and political strategies to consolidate and build on security gains. In this regard, Australia is committed to stepping up our civilian engagement in Afghanistan, including enhancing our diplomatic and civilian presence in Kabul and Oruzgan province, and increasing resources for development assistance and capacity building in Oruzgan.

Australia’s development assistance program will continue to focus on strengthening the capacity of the government of Afghanistan to provide basic services and to better support economic and social development for all Afghans, with the focus on Oruzgan province. Australia will increase our assistance to build Afghan capacity to manage responsibility for security, governance and development.

At the London conference I announced further Australian contributions for civilian efforts in Afghanistan: a $50 million contribution to the Afghan Reconstruction Trust Fund run by the World Bank and a $25 million contribution to the newly established Peace and Reintegration Fund, established by the government of Afghanistan with the support of the conference and the international community. I also announced $20 million for mine clearance activity, $4 million in assistance to the Afghanistan ministry of agriculture to deliver agricultural services, and $1 million for the Afghan Independent Human Rights Commission to strengthen promotion and protection of human rights, including in Oruzgan province.

The Afghanistan Reconstruction Trust Fund delivers some of the most effective programs in Afghanistan. It is helping Afghan children into schools, provides essential medical services and supports Afghans to find meaningful employment. It has seen school enrolments rise from one million to six million children since 2001. In Oruzgan, the Reconstruction Trust Fund is building 70 schools and supporting the construction of over 70 rural infrastructure projects and the rehabilitation of over 100 kilometres of road. The fund will play a central role in transitioning responsibility for basic service delivery and economic development to the Afghan government, through the strengthening of its ministries and its officials.

Australia’s $4 million contribution through the Asia Foundation to support the ministry of agriculture reflects the fact that in Afghanistan 80 per cent of the population is reliant on agriculture as a source of income. Australia will support efforts by the Afghan Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation and Livestock to boost agricultural productivity by assisting farmers to improve their yields and create new economic opportunities.

More than 40 Afghan people, most of whom are children, continue to fall victim every month to landmines. To help address this, Australia is also providing $20 million over the next four years to help alleviate the harmful effects of mines and explosive remnants of war in Afghanistan, including in Oruzgan province, through demining, mine risk education and victim assistance programs. Mine clearance plays an important role in opening up land for agricultural use and generating employment.

Australia is providing $1 million to the Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission to support the promotion, protection and monitoring of human rights, including in Oruzgan province. This builds on the $1.5 million provided by Australia since 2007.

Australia has made a substantial contribution to the Peace and Reintegration Trust Fund, as have other nations. The fund includes pledges from Germany, US$70 million; Japan, US$50 million; and Spain, US$14 million. Australia was one of the first countries to recognise that at some point there needed to be a political reconciliation and rapprochement in Afghanistan, started by the Afghanistan government. We believe there has to be an approach that includes political reconciliation and the reintegration into mainstream Afghan society of those people who are prepared to eschew violence and support for terrorism, lay down their arms and comply with the Afghan constitution.

The contribution of $25 million to the Peace and Reintegration Trust Fund is subject to the establishment of appropriate governance arrangements and a role for substantial donors, like Australia, in the administration of the fund. The fund will help support Afghan-led reintegration initiatives aimed at showing those who fight with and support the Taliban that there are alternatives. They need to be provided with livelihoods and employment opportunities, a long-term secure future and health and education services that a nation-state can provide.

I have seen the suggestion from some commentators both here and overseas that this fund amounts to paying the Taliban. I reject that suggestion, as has UK foreign secretary David Miliband, who said that the fund would ‘help the employment, the infrastructure and the organisation of a serious drive for political engagement that will offer long-term security’.

Winning the peace cannot be done by the use of military force alone. It has to be done in a way that includes political rapprochement, reconciliation and reintegration back into mainstream society by many of those who currently support the Taliban. There is a qualitative difference between a hardcore al-Qaeda associated terrorist and someone who sees no alternative road for themselves and their family due to current circumstances in Afghanistan. As Australia and other international partners have said, we want the Afghan government and the Afghan people to take responsibility for security matters, to take responsibility for capacity building, to take responsibility for winning the peace.

In the context of transferring responsibility for security, development and governance to the Afghan government, it will be essential to ensure a new focus on accountability. I welcome commitments that the Afghan government has made to tackling corruption, including:

• empowering an independent High Office of Oversight to investigate and sanction corrupt officials and lead the fight against corruption;
• during 2010, establishing a statutory basis for related anti-corruption bodies, including the Major Crimes Task Force and the Anti-Corruption Tribunal;
• enhancing the effectiveness of senior civil service appointments and vetting processes and revising the civil service code; and
• adopting comprehensive legislation agenda to make Afghan laws consistent with the United Nations Convention Against Corruption.

The London conference has underlined the resolve of the Afghan government and the international community to moving forward on the basis of an integrated military, civilian and political strategy, bolstered with additional resources. The Australian government remains strongly committed to these efforts and is making a significant contribution. We look forward to the momentum of the London conference producing results on the ground in Afghanistan.

Finally, I pay tribute to the excellent work of our troops, diplomats, development assistance officials and police officers working in Afghanistan in very difficult and dangerous circumstances. We again acknowledge the 11 Australian soldiers who have made the ultimate sacrifice for a stable and secure Afghanistan, free from the threat of international terrorism.

I ask leave of the House to move a motion to enable the Deputy Leader of the Opposition to speak for 12 minutes.

Leave granted.

I move:

That so much of the standing and sessional orders be suspended as would prevent the Deputy Leader of the Opposition speaking in reply to the minister’s statement for a period not exceeding 12 minutes.

Question agreed to.

Ms Julie Bishop (Curtin, Liberal Party, Deputy Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

In historic terms, Afghanistan has been called the graveyard of empires, due in large part to the fierce resistance of the population to the presence of various international forces over the centuries. There are many examples where the forces within Afghanistan have refused to be subdued by the world’s great powers. In the 13th century Genghis Khan was reportedly forced to negotiate terms favourable to the Afghanis to ensure his armies could traverse the country. In the 19th century there were the Anglo-Afghan wars and the terrible story of more than 16,000 British soldiers and civilians killed while trying to flee Kabul. More recently, in the 1980s, there was the withdrawal of Soviet troops after years of guerrilla warfare.

Therein lie the lessons for the current NATO-led mission in Afghanistan. It is very difficult to achieve a decisive military victory against a determined insurgent force that is able to find safe haven among the civilian population by hiding in the rugged terrain and in the neighbouring country. The stakes in Afghanistan are very high. It is unthinkable for the Taliban to once again rule the nation and provide safe haven for al-Qaeda terrorist training camps. The images of commercial passenger planes being deliberately crashed into the World Trade Center towers and the Pentagon are as shocking today as they were on that terrible New York morning on 11 September 2001. Terrorists directly trained by al-Qaeda, or inspired by its sick ideology, have been responsible for many horrific attacks around the world, including against Australians. As the foreign minister noted, more than 100 Australians have been killed by terrorists in recent years.

The decision taken by the partners of the International Security Assistance Force to intervene militarily in Afghanistan was to destroy the terrorist infrastructure and the training camps in which thousands of people have been trained to carry out attacks. This necessarily involved the overthrow of the Taliban, which had hosted the terrorist organisation of Osama bin Laden.

Since that time, the International Security Assistance Force has been focused on providing stability and security to a nation shattered by decades of conflict. The task of reconstruction remains daunting and, while there have been great gains, much remains to be done. There is also the task of building the capacity of the local Afghan people to provide for their own security through armed forces and police. The Afghan government is also being supported to build the institutions to enable the nation to achieve long-term stability. I welcome Australia’s contribution to the Peace and Reintegration Fund, which will be used to support and negotiate a settlement with people who are willing to renounce violence and extremism and make a constructive contribution to Afghanistan. I note the foreign minister’s reassurances that the fund will be used appropriately. However, all Australians would expect to see strict guidelines for its use, to ensure there is no possibility of any funding being diverted to support the insurgency.

The coalition also welcomes the further commitment of funds to such initiatives as mine clearing, agricultural development, reconstruction, the promotion of human rights and the increase in Australian civilian and diplomatic personnel. I note that, although the government set aside $3 million for a feasibility study into the construction of an embassy in Kabul last May, there has been no public statement on progress. I hope that, given the additional commitments, this will progress as soon as possible.

I pay tribute to the work of Australia’s troops and civilians working in a dangerous environment in support of the Afghan people. However, despite their efforts the security situation remains fragile. Attacks have been launched against various targets throughout Afghanistan in recent weeks, including the suicide bombing which targeted CIA agents. Yesterday, militants in north-west Pakistan reportedly attacked and destroyed a tanker attempting to deliver fuel to the NATO forces in Afghanistan.

Against this background, it is worth noting that Afghani president Hamid Karzai announced recently that he would seek to establish a council to support peace and reconciliation talks with militants. President Karzai has said that the national council for peace, reconciliation and reintegration will consist of government officials and tribal elders. He has called for an end to violence, with militants rejoining mainstream society. Importantly, President Karzai urged the Taliban leadership to drop the condition that NATO forces leave the country before entering peace talks. He reminded the Taliban that international forces were in Afghanistan to ensure extremists do not regain control of the country and that the international forces will remain until that objective can be met.

It is vital that the Australian government not set artificial timelines for the withdrawal of troops. The Taliban would use any such timeline, regardless of how far into the future, to promote its cause among the Afghan people. As I have related previously, I was told during my visit to Afghanistan in July last year that a militant had said to a US soldier that, while the soldier might have the fancy wristwatch, the Taliban have the time. Putting an end date for withdrawal would greatly encourage the Taliban. Debate about artificial timelines for withdrawal is also damaging to the efforts of our people in Afghanistan, because the local people remain sceptical that the international forces will remain in the country for the long term. After all, they have seen others come and go over the years. Local people are naturally very concerned about their future security after the international force’s withdrawal. The Taliban use that prospect as a weapon to convince local communities to remain on their side.

The ongoing evolution of this strategy in Afghanistan reveals the folly of the Labor Party policy in relation to Iraq in 2004 and the infamous Mark Latham line ‘troops home by Christmas’. The militants have been active in Afghanistan for a very long time and have many deep links with tribal leaders, so we should not give any comfort to the Taliban.

Given the size of its commitment, the United States is the critical contributor to the International Security and Assistance Force. It is greatly encouraging to learn of the announcement by President Obama of an additional $33 billion this financial year, which will be used to fund an increase in troops from the United States. The surge is reportedly based on the successful surge of troops in Iraq, which resulted in a dramatic decrease in the levels of violence and attacks by insurgents.

One of the keys to the decline in violence in Iraq was the successful promotion of awakening councils, which involved the local population in no longer harbouring insurgents and forming armed groups to battle militants within their midst. The challenge in Afghanistan is, if anything, greater than in Iraq because of the drastically lower standards of literacy and education. Afghanistan also lacks many of the institutions necessary for the functioning of a civilian government. The key to success in Afghanistan is, to use a well-worn phrase, to win the hearts and minds of the people. Part of this is to convince the Taliban that the international forces remain committed to the original task. It also involves winning the trust of the broader Afghan community that the international forces will not abandon them to the clutches of extremists and al-Qaeda or related jihadi groups. It involves building the trust of the people that corruption within the Afghan government can be reduced or, hopefully, eliminated. The Afghan people also need reassurance that other nations will not desert them after they take control of their own security needs. The Afghan people must be confident that they will be supported in coming decades as they slowly rebuild their shattered nation.

The primary goal of the International Security Force is to enable Afghanistan to stand as an independent nation, responsible for its own affairs and with the capacity to provide a secure and peaceful environment for its citizens. The Afghanis are like people all over the world in that the vast majority want to live in peace and to have the opportunity to build a better life for themselves and their families. Between the First World War and the Soviet war in 1979, Afghanistan, although very poor with a rudimentary economy, did enjoy decades of continuous peace under its then existing national defence forces. The ongoing development of Afghanistan was set back decades after the devastation that occurred during the Soviet occupation. National development was set back even further under the brutal medieval rule of the Taliban. Based on its harsh interpretation of Sharia law, women and girls were particularly disadvantaged during this time. Afghanistan has a long way to go in terms of meeting the challenges of being a robust, peaceful, independent nation. However, I remain confident that it can lift itself out of the quagmire of past misfortune if the nations of the world remain committed to long term support.

Stephen Smith (Perth, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Madam Deputy Speaker, on indulgence: in the course of her remarks the Deputy Leader of the Opposition referred to our diplomatic presence in Afghanistan. Whilst I certainly do not propose to make public remarks about that, I am very happy to, in the usual way, make available to the Deputy Leader of the Opposition a briefing in respect of progress on those matters.

Ms Julie Bishop (Curtin, Liberal Party, Deputy Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Madam Deputy Speaker, on indulgence: I thank the Minister for Foreign Affairs for the offer and I will certainly take it up.