Kevin Andrews (Menzies, Liberal Party, Minister for Defence) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

by leave—Irise today to update the parliament and the Australian people about Australia's missions in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Iraq — overview

Last month , the Prime Minister and I visited Iraq and the Middle East region. This was my first opportunity as Minister for Defence to visit our Australian Defence Force personnel deployed on operations, and I was deeply impressed by their professionalism in carrying out what is often extremely dangerous work in the service of our country. In Baghdad, I accompanied the Prime Minister to a meeting with Iraqi Prime Minister al-Abadi, and reinforced Australia ' s commitment to support Iraq as it confronts Daesh. Prime Minister al-Abadi reiterated his support for Australia ' s military contribution, and expressed Iraq ' s gratitude for our assistance.

The Iraqi government has asked for our help and we are working with the Iraqi government to ensure that it is able to keep its people safe, reclaim its territory and combat the Daesh threat. But this is not just about helping Iraq. It i s also about protecting our people and our interests here at home. Recent events in Australia, Canada, France, Denmark, Nigeria, Pakistan, Egypt and Libya demonstrate the global nat ure of the threat of terrorism. We cannot allow violent extremism to spread to our shores n or can we afford to let it spread to our region.

Iraq— ADF operations update

Yesterday, the Chief of Joint Operations, Vice Admiral David Johnston, and key operations staff of Headquarters Joint Operations Command provided me with an overview of Defence operations in the Middle East during a tour of the Air Operations Centre and Joint Coordination Centre. In September last year, the Prime Minister announced, following requests from both Iraq and the United States, that Australia would deploy around 600 personnel to the Middle East—including an air task group and Australian special forces—tosupport the international coalition against Daesh.Air Task Group

On 1 October 2014 the Australian Defence Force deployed under Operation OKRA and commenced operational flying over Iraq in support of coalition air operations. On the evening of 5 October, Australian aircraft flew their first armed combat missions over Iraq. And on 8 October, Australian aircraft conducted their first airstrikes against Daesh targets. As of 20 February this year, the Air Task Group had completed the following missions:

Special Operations Task Group

In late 2014, the Special Operations Task Group commenced its advise and assist mission in support of the Iraqi Counter-Terrorism Service at the Baghdad Diplomatic Security Centre and another location in Iraq. As part of this mission, Australian special forces advisers have delivered training in urban combat, close quarter battle skills, countering improvised explosive devices, countersniping, medical skills, counterterrorism operations planning, and command and control. As at 20 February, the Special Operations Task Group had trained 46 students in combat casualty care in the Iraqi Counter-Terrorism Service, while 220 Iraqi personnel had received explosive hazards awareness training. Our support is raising the capability of the Iraqi Counter-Terrorism Service to a level where it will be more effective in targeting Daesh command and control, leadership, resupply and logistics.

We are engaged in a difficult mission that will remain difficult for some time. But with our allies and partners we are making a real difference. Coalition air strikes have helped stop Daesh's momentum. And to date, Iraqi and Kurdish forces have reclaimed approximately 700 square kilometres of Daesh-controlled Iraqi territory.

Building partner capacity

The Prime Minister has said that Australia is committed to doing what it can to make the world a safer place and to make Australia a safer country. Since our visit to Baghdad in January, the government has continued discussion with the Iraqi government and our coalition partners, especially the United States, about what more can be done to help the Iraqis to defeat Daesh and roll back its gains. We are considering a contribution to the coalition Building Partner Capacity mission. On Friday, tomorrow, the Prime Minister will have a discussion with the New Zealand Prime Minister, Mr John Key, about the nature of our possible contribution. Australia welcomes New Zealand's announcement that it will send defence personnel to Iraq to train the Iraqi security forces. The capacity-building mission is critical to countering Daesh in Iraq, and will help Iraq take responsibility for its own security.

Afghanistan—overview

Australia remains committed to the mission in Afghanistan, a decade or more since the 9-11 terrorist attacks in the United States and the 2002 and 2005 attacks in Bali. This mission has been the longest military commitment in Australian history, involving all elements of the Australian Defence Force, some 33,000 deployed personnel, since 2001. The ADF commitment began as part of the International Coalition Against Terrorism, formed by the United States and its allies in 2001. From 2005, Australia contributed to the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF), as international efforts shifted from combat operations, to reconstruction and security sector reform. In 2013, Australia completed its mission in Uruzgan, and handed over control to the Afghan national security forces. And the end of 2014 marked yet another milestone, with the conclusion of Operation SLIPPER, Australia's military contribution to the ISAF mission.

Sadly, these commitments have come at a price. Forty-one Australian Defence Force personnel have been killed in Afghanistan and another 261 wounded, and add to those, others who have been subsequently affected by their Afghanistan deployments. We have not forgotten the sacrifices of these personnel, nor the sorrow that their families face. Nor have we forgotten the reasons that we must finish this job well. It is strongly in Australia's interest to prevent Afghanistan from becoming a safe haven for al-Qaeda and other international extremist groups. And so, in 2015, Australia remains committed to international efforts to support Afghanistan's security, governance and development.

Afghan progress

Following more than a decade of ADF commitment in Afghanistan, Afghan capacity and institutions continue to make encouraging gains. The Afghan national security forces have now assumed full responsibility for securing the Afghan people, and continue to demonstrate their ability to plan and conduct independent operations. Last year, they demonstrated their increasing confidence and capability in providing security for the Afghan elections. They are providing security for the Afghan people, fighting their own battles with tenacity and holding the ISAF gains. At the political level, historic progress was made in 2014 with the peaceful transition of power to the Afghan national unity government. However, challenges remain and Afghan security forces will again be tested in 2015. Resolute Support Mission

The international community has now opened a new chapter in its relations with Afghanistan, with the establishment of the new NATO-led Resolute Support Mission, which began on 1 January 2015 and is planned to conclude on 31 December 2016.

The Resolute Support Mission marks the end of coalition combat operations, with its focus on training, advising and assisting the Afghan Security Institutions and Afghan National Security Forces.

Australia ' s commitment to the Resolute Support Mission is about 400 Australian Defence Force personnel, deployed under Operation Highroad.

Through a variety of roles, ADF personnel are continuing to make an important and significant contribution to building Afghan capacity.

At the Afghan National Army Officer Academy in Kabul, A ustralian D efence F orce trainers and mentors are developing the future leadership of the Afghan National Security Forces.

Other ADF personnel support our commitment through critical force protection, medical and intelligence roles, embedding within a range of Headquarters, and as military police.

Future commitment to Afghanistan

Decisions about the drawdown of ADF personnel in 2015 and 2016 still need to be made, and will be largely shaped by Afghan progress, as well as the plans of NATO and the United States as these develop.

Central to these decisions will be Australia ' s interest in making a constructive contribution to international efforts, and the importance of cementing the progress we have made in Afghanistan over the course of more than a decade.

We will work closely with our Afghan and international partners to see how Australia can contribute to the next phases of the Resolute Support Mission.

Welcome home parade

On 1 March 2014, Prime Minister Abbott announced that Australia will have an Anzac Day style National Commemoration for the completion of Operation Slipper.

This event will give all Australians an opportunity to recognise the commitment and sacrifice of our personnel deployed as part of Australia ' s commitment to combat terrorism across Afghanistan and the Middle East.

The event will include not only Australian Defence Force members, but also Australian Federal Police and civilian employees from the Department of Defence, Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, and other government agencies. Marching alongside will be a number of Afghans who were formerly employed with Australia ' s mission.

I would encourage all Australians to attend this activity, which will be held in each state and territory capital city and Townsville on Saturday, 21 March 2015.

Maritime and peacekeeping operations

Beyond our engagement in Afghanistan and Iraq, the A ustralian D efence F orce is supporting vital work in maritime security and peacekeeping operations in the Middle East and around the world.

For more than two decades, Australia has committed a Major Fleet Unit to maritime security off the Horn of Africa.

This commitment, currently under the US-led Combined Maritime Force (CMF), promotes maritime security, stability and prosperity in the Middle East Region.

An enhanced security environment ensures Australia ' s safe and open access to the region while fostering important trade and commerce.

Conclusion

Our ongoing commitments to Iraq and Afghanistan and elsewhere in the Middle East are important for Australia ' s national security.

It is important to remember that these missions involve real risk to Australian Defence Force personnel.

They are difficult and demanding jobs.

Australia should be proud of the important work that these personnel, these men and women, are doing in our name, and our thoughts on this day and in the future are with them.

I ask leave of the House to move a motion to enable the member for Batman to speak for 14 minutes.

Leave granted.

I move:

That so much of the standing orders be suspended as would prevent Mr Feeney speaking for a period not exceeding 14 minutes.

Question agreed to.

David Feeney (Batman, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Justice) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise to take note of the minister's statement on Iraq and Afghanistan. I thank the Minister for Defence for providing this update to the parliament. Parliament is indeed the venue where such regular statements should be given. It provides all elected members an opportunity to debate and discuss decisions that put Australians in harm's way. I will begin by reiterating Labor's strong bipartisan support for the deployment of Australian service men and women to Iraq as part of international efforts against Daesh.

As they always do, our ADF personnel are serving with dedication and distinction. Make no mistake, Daesh is a barbaric organisation, but they should not be dismissed as disorganised or inexperienced in spreading their hateful ideology across Iraq and the wider world. As the Secretary of the Department of Defence told Senate estimates only yesterday:

It is important also to appreciate that Daesh or ISIL is well led. It is not a rabble of immature foreign fighters running around at the back of utes. It is led by experienced former Iraqi generals and others with substantial military experience. So as an enemy, as brutal and as nasty and as terrible as they are, you should not underestimate …

Our forces deployed to the Middle East to degrade Daesh are having an impact. Our RAAF pilots have completed 167 missions, releasing over 200 weapons. Our other Air Force assets, including refuelers, command and control aircraft and heavy-lift aircraft are providing invaluable support for the international mission. This has included humanitarian aid drops to those minority groups cut off and weapons drops to Kurdish Peshmerga troops who are taking the fight to Daesh. Our special forces are now on the ground in Iraq, advising and assisting the Iraqi armed forces. Australia's contribution is making a difference. As the Chief of the Defence Force Air Marshal Mark Binskin said yesterday:

Since our operations began last August, the international coalition has assisted Iraqi and Kurdish forces to reclaim 700 to 800 square kilometres of previously occupied territory and restricted Daesh's freedom of movement, forcing the terrorists to become increasingly defensive.

…   …   …

… for all intents and purposes … their major push and their major strategic message of being able to establish a caliphate is in question.

Ultimately, this battle can only be won by the Iraqis themselves, and so our measure of effectiveness and success will be in making the role of our forces redundant through building the capacity of the Iraqi armed forces.

I can inform the House that the Leader of the Opposition had the honour of visiting Australian forces in Iraq earlier this year. I would like to take this opportunity to thank the government for facilitating the recent visit of the Leader of the Opposition to the Middle East area of operations. Mr Shorten received detailed briefings in relation to the air component and travelled into Iraq to talk to our special operations personnel involved in the advise-and-assist mission. Mr Shorten was able to receive confirmation of the progress that has been made to date in preventing further advances by Daesh, and the effective air operations in delivering humanitarian supplies to those in dire need. He was briefed on the delivery of military supplies to the Peshmerga resistance forces, as well as the operations to degrade the capabilities, freedom of movement and resupply of Daesh. He was also advised of the preparation for the next phase of offensive operations: to recover major population centres and territories still held by Daesh in Iraq.

I had the privilege of being at Al Minhad Air Base in the UAE in August 2014 and observed firsthand the first mission briefing given to our RAAF crews as they began the task of flying urgently needed supplies to the Yazidis seeking refuge on Mount Sinjar. The Leader of the Opposition and indeed everyone on this side of the House continue to be greatly impressed by the professionalism and the courage of our personnel and their insightful analysis of the theatre of operations. The Leader of the Opposition is determined that they be aware of our complete bipartisan support for their efforts and our concern for their wellbeing.

Labor's support for our nation's deployment is based on four principles: firstly, that we are there at the request of the Iraqi government; secondly, that our activities are confined to Iraq; thirdly, that Australian ground combat units are not deployed; and, lastly, that, if the Iraqi security forces engage in unacceptable conduct or the Iraqi government adopts unacceptable policies, then Australia should withdraw its support. We have noted disturbing reports regarding the behaviour of some Iraqi militia groups, and it is our expectation that these reports will be raised with the Iraqi government.

While the people of Syria have been devastated by civil war and the rise of extremist organisations such as Daesh and Jabhat al-Nusra, Labor does not support Australian military involvement in Syria at this time. There is no internationally supported military or political strategy for Syria, and Labor does not believe that Australian military involvement in Syria could successfully provide relief to the humanitarian crisis that is occurring there.

We note that the government is considering a change to the mission and a possible expansion of the troop numbers involved. We await the government's briefing on that matter. These are the principles that will continue to guide Labor's support for Australia's contribution to the international effort against Daesh.

While the international focus is on Daesh, we also recognise our nation's continued commitment to Afghanistan. As the minister has acknowledged, this mission has been the longest military commitment in Australian history. At the end of last year, Operation Slipper, Australia's contribution to the International Security Assistance Force, came to a close. The ADF can be rightly proud of the role they have played in defeating the Taliban and creating a more stable and secure environment to allow the Afghan government to establish itself. In recent years, the Australian contribution in Afghanistan shifted to improving the capability of the Afghan National Security Forces, with an eye to the transition of all security responsibilities to Afghanistan.

It has not come without a cost. Forty-one Australians have lost their lives during this period, and another 261 Australians were wounded. Our thoughts, as always, are with all of our Defence personnel and their families. We will never forget their sacrifices in serving Australia. Four Australian personnel who served in Afghanistan received the Victoria Cross, and many more Australians have been recognised for their service in other ways. Australia continues to have some 400 ADF personnel deployed in Afghanistan as part of Operation Highroad. Taking training and mentoring roles, they continue to make a vital contribution to building Afghanistan's future capability.

We should also not forget the ongoing efforts being made by our service men and women in peacekeeping and maritime security roles in the Middle East. They continue to have success, particularly in disrupting drug-smuggling off the Horn of Africa. This not only impacts on the drug trade; it also stops money flowing into the hands of criminals and terrorists.

Labor, like all Australians, are proud of the Australian Defence Force and the work it is doing in these dangerous and difficult theatres of operation. We acknowledge their sacrifice and their vital contribution to our national security. I thank the House.