This is Mathews, tell'em thanks, we're headed home also. Nothing left to see here.
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| Afghanistan |
| Last Australian Combat Troops Leave Afghanistan |
| 2013-12-17 |
| [Tolo News] Australian combat troops have completed their withdrawal from Afghanistan, Prime Minister Tony Abbott said Monday, marking the end of the nation's longest war which left 40 of its soldiers dead. Abbott announced that more than 1,000 troops would pull out from the restive southern province of Uruzgan before the end of the year during a surprise visit to their base at Tarin Kot in October. The drawdown was completed Sunday and most soldiers were expected to be home for Christmas. "This war is ending, not with victory, not with defeat, but with hope that Afghanistan is a better place and Uruzgan in particular is a better place for our presence," Abbott said. "I firmly believe that to be the case." Canberra first committed troops to Afghanistan following the September 11, 2001 attacks on the United States, but they have been in Uruzgan since late 2005. "We know that they've paid a high price -- 40 dead and 261 seriously maimed -- but that sacrifice has not been in vain," Abbott said, referring to the 12-year mission. "Uruzgan today is a very significantly different and better place than it was a decade ago." Some 400 Australians will remain in Afghanistan in non-combat roles, mostly in Kabul and Kandahar, but the bulk of the 1,550 Australians who had been serving there were now out of the country. |
| Posted by:Fred |
| #3 Kinda, sorta, all removed, mostly. |
| Posted by: Redneck Jim 2013-12-17 08:41 |
| #2 This is Mathews, tell'em thanks, we're headed home also. Nothing left to see here. |
| Posted by: Besoeker 2013-12-17 08:00 |
| #1 Thank you for being an Allie, mate. The Australia, New Zealand, United States Security Treaty (ANZUS or ANZUS Treaty) is the military alliance which binds Australia and New Zealand and, separately, Australia and the United States to co-operate on defence matters in the Pacific Ocean area, although today the treaty is taken to relate to conflicts worldwide. (Wikipedia) |
| Posted by: Guillibaldo McCoy1948 2013-12-17 00:29 |