Fed: Aust to deploy 300 special force troops to Afghanistan

AAP General News (Australia)
04-10-2007
Fed: Aust to deploy 300 special force troops to Afghanistan

The prime minister is sending a 300 member special forces task group to Afghanistan
.. to help counter an expected Taliban offensive in the weeks ahead.

Warning there could be Australian casualties .. JOHN HOWARD says the extra troops are
needed to stop terrorism from again acquiring a safe haven in Afghanistan.

And he says the war won't be won .. without renewed and increased effort .. from like-minded
countries .. not just the United States.

Mr HOWARD says the task group will be deployed to Oruzgan Province in south-central
Afghanistan .. where a smaller 200-member group operated until last September.

Their job will be to disrupt Taliban command and control supply routes .. and to support
the Australian reconstruction task force.





The existing 120-strong troops protecting RTF personnel will also be extended .. and
a 75-strong radar protection surveillance group from the RAAF will be sent to Kandahar
airfield to take control of part of Afghan international airspace.

Mr HOWARD says Australia's total military deployment to Afghanistan will reach 950
by the middle of this year .. and peak at a thousand by the middle of next year.

He says there'll still be more Australian personnel in Iraq .. than in Afghanistan.

Defence Minister BRENDAN NELSON and defence force chief .. Air Chief Marshal ANGUS
HOUSTON .. fly to Canada tomorrow .. to meet ministers from other nations with forces
in southern Afghanistan to discuss cooperation arrangements.

AAP RTV dcr/sb/jmt/bart

KEYWORD: AFGHAN AUST (CANBERRA)

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