Stephen Smith (Perth, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Leader of the House) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

by leave—

Introduction

The government is committed to providing regular reports and updates on Afghanistan, including to the parliament. I last reported to the parliament on 31 October 2012, following my visit to Afghanistan and my attendance at the NATO/International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) Defence ministers meeting in Brussels on 9 and 10 October. Prior to this, I had updated parliament on Afghanistan on four other occasions in 2012. This is my first report to parliament for 2013.

ADF battle fatalities and casualties in Afghanistan

Australia has suffered 39 fatalities in Afghanistan, with seven fatalities during 2012. The last fatality was Corporal Scott Smith on 21 October 2012. Overall, Australia has suffered 249 wounded in Afghanistan since 2001, with 33 wounded in 2012. Three ADF personnel have been wounded in 2013.

Update on operations and t ransition

There have been a number of significant developments since my last update to parliament on 31 October last year.

Afghan wide transition

Across Afghanistan, progress on the transition to Afghan-led security responsibility continues. On 31 December 2012, President Karzai announced the fourth tranche of districts and provinces to undergo transition. This will see Afghan security forces take lead responsibility for security for 87 per cent of the Afghan population and for 23 of the 34 Afghan provinces.

During President Karzai's visit to Washington in early January this year, President Obama welcomed President Karzai's desire to bring forward from mid-2013 to the northern spring the Chicago Summit milestone when the ANSF assume the operational lead across all of Afghanistan and ISAF moves into an adviser-support role. This milestone will see the announcement of the fifth and final tranche of transition, which would commence implementation in the northern summer, subject to final Afghan and NATO/ISAF approval.

In his annual report for 2012, published on 31 January this year, NATO Secretary General Rasmussen made a number of important observations about the continuing development of the capability and capacity of the Afghan security forces. Some are as follows:

As transition proceeds, Afghanistan will remain difficult and dangerous. There will be challenges and setbacks ahead. The Taliban will target Afghan security forces as they take responsibility for the security of their country. The IED roadside bomb threat will continue and the Taliban will continue to focus on high profile propaganda motivated attacks, together with claiming responsibility for any insider attacks on ISAF forces.

I acknowledge the hard work, commitment and achievements of the Commander of ISAF forces, General John Allen. General Allen has been a steadfast ally and supporter of Australian forces in Afghanistan. Australia looks forward to continuing our close working relationship with him in his proposed new role as Supreme Allied Commander Europe. Australia now looks forward to working closely with General Joseph Dunford as the new Commander of ISAF when he assumes command shortly.

Reconciliation

Australia supports an Afghan-led reconciliation process, recognising that conflict in Afghanistan will not be ended by military force alone. Australia welcomes the recent efforts of Afghanistan and Pakistan to work together to progress reconciliation. In particular, I welcome the recent trilateral meeting held in the United Kingdom earlier this week between Afghanistan President Karzai, Pakistan President Zardari and British Prime Minister Cameron to discuss the Afghan-led peace and reconciliation process. The Chair of the Afghan High Peace Council, Chair Rabbani, also attended the meeting. All three leaders committed to take all necessary measures to achieve a peace settlement over the next six months. They affirmed their support for opening an office in Doha for the purpose of negotiations between the Taliban and the High Peace Council of Afghanistan as part of an Afghan-led peace process. These talks will necessarily be long, complex and inevitably subject to setbacks, but efforts at such talks must continue.

Uruzgan

In October last year, I advised that the ADF had officially assumed the leadership of Combined Team-Uruzgan (CT-U) and responsibility for ISAF operations in Uruzgan Province. CT-U was established following the withdrawal of the Dutch in August 2010 under United States command and consisting of Australian, Singaporean, Slovakian and US personnel. The United States had the leadership of CT-U from August 2010 to October 2012.Leadership of the CT-U is part of the transition process through which security responsibility will be transferred from ISAF to the ANSF and will help ensure that transition in Uruzgan is effected in a seamless way. Australia has been working on transition with our CT-U partners—the United States, Singapore and Slovakia. The ADF assumed responsibility from former CT-U member Slovakia for the security at Multinational Base Tarin Kot (MNB-TK) in October last year.

I thank Slovakia for their commitment and for their partnership, as I do Singapore and the United States for their commitment and cooperation with Australia in Uruzgan.

In November last year, I advised that all four infantry kandaks of the Afghan National Army (ANA) 4th Brigade are now operating independently without advisers in Uruzgan province. The commencement of independent operations by the 4th Brigade infantry kandaks is a significant step in the process of transition to Afghan-led security responsibility in Uruzgan and confirms that transition is on track in Uruzgan.

In July 2012, transition to an Afghan security lead in Uruzgan for the four infantry kandaks and the two combat support kandaks of the 4th Brigade of the 205 'Hero' Corps of the Afghan National Army commenced. In early October 2012, the 3rd infantry kandak of the 4th Brigade commenced operations independently without advisers. The 1st and 6th infantry kandaks commenced independent operations early in November and the final 2nd infantry kandak commenced independent operations on 15 November last year.

With the commencement of independent operations by the four infantry kandaks, the ADF transferred control of joint forward operating bases and patrol bases in Uruzgan province to the 4th Brigade. Australian troops no longer operate from forward operating bases or patrol bases in Uruzgan and have consolidated their presence at the Multinational Base Tarin Kot.

The ADF task group has shifted emphasis from partnering and mentoring at kandak level to advising at headquarters 4th Brigade level and at the Afghan Operational Coordination Centre-Provincial in Uruzgan. Independent operations for the 4th Brigade infantry kandaks do not mean the end of a role for the ADF in Uruzgan. The ADF will continue to advise the two combat support and combat service support or logistic kandaks of the 4th Brigade. The ADF task group will remain combat ready to assist Afghan forces should the need arise and the Special Operations Task Group continues to conduct partnered combat operations to disrupt the insurgency.

Only weeks after the end of joint patrols, the 4th Brigade launched a major three-week operation in Uruzgan targeting insurgents and capturing weapons caches. This operation was the final 205 Corp operation designed to prepare Afghan security forces to operate independently before the 2012 winter. Based on the most recent advice and assessment, Uruzgan is now expected to fully transition to Afghan-led security responsibility by the end of this year.

Redeployment

As transition proceeds, there will be changes in the composition of the ADF commitment in Afghanistan. Over the past few years, Australia has had approximately 1,550 personnel in Afghanistan. With the shift in focus from training and mentoring to advising and supporting, the 680-strong 3RAR Task Group was replaced by the 330-strong 7RAR Task Group in November last year.

Similarly, with the commencement of independent operations by the infantry kandaks of the ANA 4th Brigade, the 16 ASLAV vehicles which were used to provide firepower and fire support to patrols conducted by ADF personnel are no longer required. These vehicles are now in the process of being returned to Australia.

The overall number of ADF personnel will not substantially decrease until towards the end of this year as additional personnel are deployed temporarily to support the transition and redeployment effort. For example, in October last year, 65 ADF personnel deployed to Uruzgan to assume responsibility for security at the Multinational Base Tarin Kot following the departure of the Slovak Force Protection Platoon which had provided security at Tarin Kot since the formation of Combined Team-Uruzgan in August 2010.

An initial ADF transition redeployment planning team of around 20 personnel deployed to the Middle East last year to assist with planning for the redeployment of ADF troops and equipment and the disposal of ADF infrastructure. Additional redeployment personnel were deployed in December 2012 to support the task, with the bulk of the redeployment personnel scheduled to be deployed in March and June this year.

Australia's p ost-2014 mission

Australia is committed to supporting Afghanistan through to transition in December 2014 and beyond. Australia demonstrated this commitment to the people of Afghanistan and the international community at the Chicago Summit, with the signing of the Comprehensive Long-Term Partnership between Australia and Afghanistan. The Comprehensive Long-Term Partnership demonstrates that Australia is committed to supporting Afghanistan beyond 2014 through cooperation in the areas of security, trade and development, and building the capacity of Afghanistan's national institutions.

Australia is not alone in its long-term commitment to Afghanistan. The United States has signed a long-term strategic partnership agreement with Afghanistan. A number of our ISAF partners, including the United Kingdom, France and Italy, as well as India and NATO itself, have also signed similar agreements.

Beyond our training mission in Uruzgan and the completion of nationwide transition by the end of 2014, Australia will maintain an ADF presence in Afghanistan, in recognition that Australia has a vital national interest in supporting Afghanistan's stability and security after transition.

The ADF will continue to support the development of the Afghan National Security Forces through the provision of training and advisory support, including at the Afghan National Army Officer Academy in Kabul, with our British and New Zealand colleagues. We will also consider a special forces contribution under an appropriate mandate.

As well, Australia will contribute US$100 million annually for three years from 2015 as part of international efforts to sustain and support the Afghan National Security Forces beyond transition. Our commitment to Afghan National Security Forces funding reflects our enduring interest in Afghanistan's long-term security and stability. These commitments send a strong signal to the people of Afghanistan, the Taliban and the region that the international community will not walk away from Afghanistan at the end of 2014.

Support to v eterans

The care of wounded, injured and ill veterans is a high priority for the government and the Australian community. Veteran care will become an increasingly important focus of our time in Afghanistan. As the Prime Minister said in her 31 October statement to the House on Afghanistan:

The next decade will see more young Australian combat veterans live in our community than since the 1970s.

At the time the Prime Minister said that this is:

… demanding changes in the way the Department of Defence and the Department of Veterans' Affairs care for service personnel and veterans.

I am pleased to say that these changes are being made. On Tuesday this week, the Minister for Veterans' Affairs and Defence Science and Personnel and I attended the signing by the Department of Defence and Department of Veterans' Affairs of a memorandum of understanding for the cooperative delivery of care and support to eligible persons.

The MOU is aimed at better coordinating the delivery of care and support services between Defence and Veterans' Affairs. The MOU sets out the key principles which will govern the cooperative delivery of care and support and establishes governance arrangements designed to ensure that these support arrangements remain effective in an ongoing way.

The MOU also introduces the concept of the 'Support Continuum', the structure of systems that extends across both Defence and Veterans' Affairs to deliver the seamless care and support our service men and women, and their dependants, deserve. Put simply, it is to stop our wounded, injured and ill veterans from falling between the cracks in the system.

All ADF personnel will benefit from stronger ties between Defence and Veterans' Affairs, with services and support tailored to better meet the needs of members at any point during or after their ADF career.

The new MOU builds on the Support for Wounded, Injured or Ill Program, also designed to make sure that veterans do not fall through gaps between Defence and Veterans' Affairs. As well, the Simpson Assistance Program provides services to support the needs of severely wounded, injured or ill individuals and their families.

The Chief of Army's Wounded, Injured or Ill Digger Forum provides an important opportunity for Defence and Veterans' Affairs to understand the needs and requirements of wounded veterans and their families.

Private organisations have an important role to play as well. Everyone in the House and in the community will be familiar with the great work of the RSL and Legacy, which have been supporting veterans for about a century.

New organisations such as Soldier On are now also playing a role. Soldier On is a private foundation set up by two young former soldiers to provide support to Australian service men and women who have suffered either physical or psychological wounds in the recent conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan. In October last year I was pleased to attend the announcement of Corporal Mark Donaldson VC as the Patron-in-Chief of Soldier On.

The SAS Trust, the Commando Welfare Trust, and the Australian Defence Force Assistance Trust are helping to provide for the families and children of those who have made the ultimate sacrifice. There is a particular focus here on the education of the children of our fallen.

Mental h ealth and p ost t raumatic stress d isorder

Defence continues to enhance its comprehensive approach to screening, assessment and treatment of mental health concerns, including post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). ADF members dealing with post-traumatic stress disorder have access to the full range of mental health services and rehabilitation services.

Significant improvements have been made to the provision of mental health care across the ADF as part of a more than $90 million investment into Defence and DVA by government. These include establishing eight regional mental health teams supporting the delivery of mental health care. The ADF is also working hard with organisations like Soldier On to destigmatise mental health issues.

One of the most important factors in treating mental disorders, including post-traumatic stress disorder is to seek support and treatment as soon as possible. Early identification of those at risk of developing mental health issues is a pathway to better health outcomes.

These arrangements result in a high return to work rate for rehabilitated members and provide good support for veterans. But it is essential that we continue to take steps to make the support system even better. Seeking assistance for mental health concerns was the theme of the inaugural Australian Defence Force Mental Health Day held on 10 October 2012.

The mental health and wellbeing of the men and women in uniform and our veterans will continue to be an essential government and community focus in the aftermath of our contribution in Afghanistan.

Conclusion

Australia must continue to be clear-sighted about our objective in Afghanistan. Our objective is to prevent Afghanistan from again becoming a safe haven for terrorists.

Australian forces will not be in Afghanistan forever. Transition to Afghan-led security responsibility in Uruzgan has commenced and is on track to be finalised by the end of this year.

As transition proceeds, our role will evolve in close consultation with our ISAF, NATO and Afghan partners and in accordance with the implementation of the Lisbon and Chicago summit strategies.

As transition proceeds, Afghanistan will remain difficult and dangerous. Transition will not be a perfect process. The Taliban will target Afghan security forces as those forces take responsibility for the security of their country. The IED threat will continue and the Taliban will continue to focus on high-profile propaganda motivated attacks and claiming responsibility for any insider attacks on ISAF forces.

Australia will continue to remain firm in our support to Afghan security forces and firm in our commitment to the transition strategy that Australia and the international community, acting under a United Nations mandate, have agreed to implement.

I thank the House, and I present the following document: Afghanistan transition—Ministerial statement, 7 February 2013. I ask leave of the House to move a motion to enable the member for Fadden to speak for 17 minutes.

Leave granted.

I move:

That so much of the standing orders be suspended as would prevent the honourable member for Fadden speaking for a period not exceeding 17 minutes.

Question agreed to.

Stuart Robert (Fadden, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Defence Science, Technology and Personnel) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the Minister for Defence for his updates and his commitment to regular updates to the House. I take the time to reinforce the coalition's bipartisan support for our combat operations in Afghanistan and bipartisan support for the care of our veterans wounded subsequent to those operations and their families. The minister's update is timely as we enter the spring and summer fighting season, literally as the snow thaws on the mountains of Afghanistan, except this time the legendary Royal Australian Regiment will not be mentoring or, indeed, fighting on joint operations with the Afghan National Army; they will instead be advising. It will be the ANA's greatest test. Independent operations will be advised by the Royal Australian Regiment against a determined and reasonably well-equipped enemy. It will be a testing time. There will be successes but, as the minister quite rightly said, there will be setbacks.

Major General Cantwell's words in 2010, when he was commander JTF633, our national commander in Afghanistan, ring as true now as they did then. He called on the government and the nation not to get the 'wobbles', to hold the course; it is testing, but the end is nigh. The coalition backs the path to ANA providing their own security within Afghanistan, in league with the Afghan National Police, and ultimately our soldiers coming home.

I join the minister in thanking General Allen for his service to the world community. He has shown himself to be a true friend to Australia. We join the minister in welcoming General Dunford as the new Commander ISAF. Likewise, we join the minister in acknowledging the terrible loss of 39 Australians and the wounding in action of 249 of our personnel. Ours has been an exacting price.

I am very pleased to see the 7th Battalion has rotated smoothly into theatre in its new role of assisting and advising the Afghan National Army 4th Brigade to conduct independent operations, ostensibly through working through their headquarter elements at the brigade, with some at the kandak level and, of course, the logistic support levels. They will be called on heavily as this year's fighting season starts to ramp up. I am very confident that the men and women from the 7th Battalion will rise to the challenge. I also note that, as at the end of last year, Afghan security forces are now controlling or at least leading 87 per cent of the Afghan population and are providing that leadership in 23 of the 34 Afghan provinces.

Challenges remain. The task ahead may be clear, but it will not be easy. As the minister noted, the assessment of the ability of Australian and other ISAF forces to transition out of Afghanistan is based on the ability of the Afghan forces to rise to the challenge and maintain the security environment that has been established to date. This will not be a normal year in Afghanistan. This is the testing year. Can the Afghan National Army and the security forces stand on their own feet? I join the minister in expressing great confidence that they have been trained by the finest fighting force on the planet: the Australian Army, Navy and Air Force combined in the task force elements. I remain confident that they can indeed rise to that challenge.

I thank the minister for his update on detainee management and I note that our enemy continue to lodge complaints at the point of capture. I note that all continue to be investigated and that no complaints have been substantiated. This is testimony to good procedures and discipline within our processes, good oversight and good reporting. I also note that our enemy have adapted their tactics to throwing themselves to the floor to indicate that they may well have been injured during questioning. This reinforces the judicious use of our CCTV cameras. It also demonstrates the humanity of our approach to our enemies' capture compared to the barbarity and sickening violence of our enemies' behaviour when ISAF personnel are captured.

We are a First World nation and we will continue to act like it, but let us never forget our enemy are violent, they are ruthless, they are barbaric and they are cruel. Whipping and executing their citizens for going to a dance, or the real misogyny of shooting a girl in the head for having the temerity to try to go to school—that is the behaviour of the enemy we fight. The nation should never forget the rightness of our cause and the barbarity of theirs.

Minister, I note that post-2013 the government's intent is to retain an SOTG, a special ops element, with an appropriate mandate, and we support that wholeheartedly. We also understand that this will be almost completely determinant upon US special forces' footprint, the logistics support and the locations—and I trust you will keep the House informed as those negotiations continue. We understand the challenges when it comes to the US working out their footprint first, and we, of course, with our allies will come lockstep in line with that. The parliament would also benefit, Minister, from some greater certainty on the further elements that would exist post-withdrawal, such as 'Duntroon in the desert'—and, Minister, don't give the Poms an inch when they try and call it 'Sandhurst in the sand'; it is unacceptable! Duntroon in the desert should be supported. I acknowledge that your intent is to do so. Some further information in due course would be helpful.

We further note that the gunnery school commanded by Australians has been a great success and, if there is an opportunity for Australians to continue their involvement in the Afghan school of gunnery, we should look at it. It would be good to know details of the number of embeds that we would leave behind in terms of our professional officer staff within various headquarter elements, as headquarter elements of the US will remain in location. If there are opportunities for our commanders to embed with them, we should continue to look at that. Also, I gather that the wider Middle East area of operations around the Horn of Africa will continue as it has—we are now in our 30th ship rotation. Some wider comment in due course would be appreciated.

Minister, whilst you enjoy the coalition's bipartisan support on a range of areas of combat operations, we have some concerns. In the great spirit of our robust bipartisanship, I wish to raise with you four concerns around logistics, ministerial oversight, the defence budget and instant reporting. I remain concerned regarding the use of defence resources for Op Resolute when we may well need all of our logistics effort to pull over $3 billion worth of equipment out of Afghanistan. In the last month of last year, two C17s and one KC30 tanker were used to ferry asylum seekers from Australia to Colombo. Whilst I understand existing resources may be incredibly stretched, I find it difficult to accept the extant use of military heavy-lift resources to alleviate what is a border protection failure. I would enjoy, Minister, your assurance that we have all the resources we need to maintain what will be a significant lift out of Afghanistan.

Now is the time of the logistician. The 'loggie' will rise to the challenge now, as we transition from the combat era to assistance in the Afghan National Army to the loggies doing the lifting out of an enormous amount of equipment—including 1,300 armoured accommodation modules, 600 shipping containers, almost 300 armoured vehicles as well as the whole plethora of loggie stuff they need to move. I accept, Minister, that there are some constraints upon us. If we cannot leave equipment behind for either US forces or allies to use, or for the Afghans to use safely and maintain, it may have to be destroyed in location. We accept that, otherwise it needs to either be flown out or travel a precarious land route. On the subject of infrastructure, I am very pleased that as much as possible will be left behind for the Afghan forces to use where appropriate.

Secondly, regarding the ministerial reshuffle, we welcome the appointment of the member for Eden Monaro as a minister and we look forward to working with him where possible. I have known the good minister for quite a while. It will prove to be an interesting year, Minister, and it is good to see you in the House. But I am concerned that in the ministerial reshuffle the member for Eden Monaro's previous position of Parliamentary Secretary for Defence has not been refilled. Your ministerial team has lost 25 per cent of ministerial capacity.

Stephen Smith (Perth, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Leader of the House) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Two for the price of one!

Stuart Robert (Fadden, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Defence Science, Technology and Personnel) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

And two for the price of one, while sounding eloquent, Minister, surely does not cut it.

I am also a little concerned that the parliamentary secretary that has not been replaced is the parliamentary secretary for the Afghanistan withdrawal. If it was important to have a parliamentary secretary for Afghanistan withdrawal last year and we are now at the most crucial stage of withdrawing our combat force, surely the argument holds that we would have a parliamentary secretary for Afghanistan withdrawal now. I accept that that responsibility will now move to the Minister for Defence and, Minister, we will continue to work with you in that space.

Minister, we remain desperately concerned over the impact of budget cuts. I note your commitment, which I accept at face value, that this will not affect current combat operations. I am more concerned in terms of budgetary aspects about future operations—our capacity to mount the next force or our capacity to mount multiple forces in multiple jurisdictions. Notwithstanding your interesting press release yesterday and its attempt to associate the coalition with your cumulative $25 billion in budget cuts, can I say the coalition's position on this could not be clearer. We will not cut the defence budget. It will be quarantined, guaranteed. Any savings identified in the defence budget will be quarantined for use within defence, guaranteed. We will rebuild defence in this country like the last coalition government did.

Minister, I am concerned about the impact of cuts to projects, especially in Minister Mike Kelly's area. I will be speaking to Minister Kelly and putting a formal request to get a brief on why JP154 Phase 2, the counter IED fourth protection ECM and weapons technical intelligence capability, has been slipped by one year in this year's budget due entirely to budget impacts. I would have thought that of all the projects that one should not cut, JP154 Phase 2 counter IED would be one that should have been quarantined.

I remain concerned that the reports for five incidents that resulted unfortunately in eight Australians killed in action from 30 May 2011 to 21 October 2012 are still outstanding. Minister, if 30 May 2011 is correct from your statement, it is up to 20 months. The US takes approximately 60 days to do their incident reporting. You indicated in previous responses that you would address this with more resources. With the greatest of respect, five instances outstanding over 20 months is not addressing the issue; it is unacceptable. Let me clearly put the Department of Defence on notice that, should the Australian people elect a coalition government, we will not accept such a delay. If it is good enough for the US to conclude inquiries within 60 days, it is not good enough for us to take 20 months.

Minister, I am very pleased with the announcement of the resettlement policy. I called for it last year and I am very pleased that in response to the community and other areas that you have announced what seems fair and reasonable and have followed the path that has happened in previous conflicts. I also acknowledge the signing of the MOU yesterday between the Department of Veterans' Affairs and the Department of Defence. We welcome and support that wholeheartedly. The care of our veterans is front and centre in the minds of all Australians and we will stand shoulder to shoulder with you in caring for our veterans and caring for our wounded. I acknowledge the Joint Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade, which I sit on, is conducting its Inquiry into the Care of ADF Personnel Wounded and Injured on Operations for the parliament to build its body of knowledge in this area, and I think the parliamentary committee is doing a very good job on that.

We are all committed to the care and support of veterans and especially to destigmatising and addressing issues of mental health. It will not come as a surprise to the nation that we ask our soldiers to do some terrible and dreadful things in their service to our country—things that in a world where swords are turned to ploughshares should never be asked but such a world does not yet exist. Swords still exist, so rough men must remain ready to visit violence on those who would do us harm. It is naive at best to think that this does not impact upon soldiers—it does, it will, it has and it will continue to. We ask our soldiers to prosecute violence in the name of our diplomatic and national objectives. It has an impact. The coalition wholeheartedly supports the government and the military with the work they are doing in assisting wounded veterans and those with mental health challenges and problems. We pledge the coalition's continued support in this area. It will be a tough road ahead. We have had over 600 to 700 cases of PTSD recognised by Veterans' Affairs out of East Timor. The number of people presenting with mental health challenges out of Afghanistan will increase. I thank Major General Cantwell for his seminal work in his book Exit Wounds and for his raising the national profile on the issue of mental health and mental scars from combat operations.

Let me conclude as I started by saying this will not be a normal year for combat operations in Afghanistan. By year's end we will know the mettle of the Afghan National Army and whether they have stood up and fought against an enemy that will try and retake the high ground this year. By year's end, we will know what the outcome will be, and I join the minister in expressing confidence. The 4th Brigade of the Afghan National Army has been trained by the finest fighting force in the world, the Australian Army. I have great hope that the Afghan National Army under such training and guided by the assistance of the 7th Battalion task group and its associated forces will rise to the challenge. By year's end, we will have withdrawn much of our assistance force as well as much of our gear and we will be playing a much reduced combat role if anything apart from our kinetic elements within the Special Operations Task Group. The ANA will have to step up. They will have to prove their mettle during the spring and summer fighting season that will literally start in a matter of a week's time. Our enemy will test them. The Afghan National Army is well trained but now is the time for them to own their own security. Now is the time for Afghanistan as a country to realise its hopes and its dreams of maintaining its own integrity in terms of its borders with that first command of any government: the sovereign security of its state. Our path to withdrawal is set. It has bipartisan support. We welcome the advance of the Afghan National Army's performance and we look forward to the coming year ahead.