Bob Carr (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Hansard source

Mr President, I think there would be considerable scepticism from people who have studied Afghanistan that the withdrawal of ISAF partners would lead to that happy outcome. How much all of us would wish that that would be the case, but there is no evidence that a withdrawal would produce such a happy result—that is, a democratic, secular Afghanistan in which rights were more respected than they are today. I take seriously the senator's reference to such objectionable laws as the one he instanced and I will ask our ambassador to Afghanistan, who I spoke to yesterday, to pursue that and to register a protest if, in fact, that is a statement of the case.

We are engaged in a transition process. We want to have our troops out of there as soon as we can, compatible with the achievement of our goals. We are absolutely in lockstep with our partners in this goal.