It's Done.

[Jacob]

Tonight the Australian Flag will be lowered in Southern Iraq, marking the end of what I believe has been a successful operation. My respects to the fallen and those still active in the region.

[kiwi]

Here here. We thank our brave troops for all their service. 

 

[Alchemist]

ya, my salutes too

valuable life wasted for crap peoples

[Ari]

What, you're leaving us!   Thanks for all the help, though.     Hopefully we won't be there until 2115.

[kiwi]

What, you're leaving us!   Thanks for all the help, though.     Hopefully we won't be there until 2115.

LOL Ari we are not going far, its a swap over.

[Ari]

Oh, I thought it was a complete pull-out, LOL, another thorn in the side to Bush.   

[kiwi]

yes and know, the troops are heading home but are going to be resigned to other areas to aid the US in Afghanistan.

[Jacob]

We're withdrawing from Southern Iraq and assigned to Southern Afghanistan, Tarin Kowt in Oruzgan Province, etc.

[sniper]

A nice  holiday spot

[Jacob]

A nice  holiday spot

LOL

[sniper]

My number 1  and number3 sons both inform me that its where the pogo s hang out.

[Jacob]

My number 1  and number3 sons both inform me that its where the pogo s hang out.

So, I guess Afghanistan is the new Hyperdome?

[sniper]

One would hope that it has been for a few years...otherwise the deaths of at least five blokes and the wounding of 50 odd  has been in vain.

[Jacob]

One would hope that it has been for a few years...otherwise the deaths of at least five blokes and the wounding of 50 odd  has been in vain.

Fair enough.

[Ari]

So you guys are moving from one Muslim hell hole to another.

[Jacob]

So you guys are moving from one Muslim hell hole to another.

Looks like it.

[kiwi]

Australia calls for 10,000 more troops in Afghanistan
By Nick Squires in Sydney
Last Updated: 1:13PM BST 04/06/2008
The war in Afghanistan needs an immediate injection of 10,000 more troops and will drag on for another decade, Australian politicians and military leaders have said.

In a sharp rebuke to European countries reluctant to bolster their forces in the war-torn country, defence minister Joel Fitzgibbon said: "I am of the view that we need at the very least an additional 10,000 troops in Afghanistan and to be frank I don’t see any Europeans who look likely to put up substantial numbers any time soon.

"I fear it will fall to the US to do a lot on the military front and I sense a willingness on their part to do so. But, of course, they have enormous concurrency issues. They are overstretched."

Australia’s new Labor government withdrew 550 combat troops from Iraq this week, fulfilling a pledge it made in November’s federal election.


In contrast, its commitment to the war in Afghanistan remains firm and it will maintain its 1,000 strong force, which is deployed to Uruzgan province in the south, where it assists a Dutch-led reconstruction operation.

The head of the Australian military said coalition forces would be fighting the Taliban and al Qaeda extremists until 2018 at least.

"I would say it’s an endeavour that will last at least 10 years," Air Chief Marshal Angus Houston told a parliamentary committee.

While calling on European countries to boost their troop numbers, Australia has ruled out sending any more of its own forces.

"We are the largest non-NATO contributor," said Mr Fitzgibbon. "We are the 10th largest contributor overall and we are just not prepared to do more while ever we are of the view that there are others that could be doing more. We simply don’t have the capacity." Hundreds of Australian soldiers are deployed closer to home, in East Timor and the Solomon Islands, on peacekeeping duties.

Bollywood star cleared of sex charge

A Bollywood starlet was cleared on Wednesday of allegations that she had sex with elite Australian SAS troopers during a morale-boosting entertainment tour of Afghanistan.

Tania Zaetta, 37, had been named in an Australian military briefing note as having slept with special forces soldiers while on a concert tour in April. She steadfastly denied the allegation.

Air Chief Marshal Angus Houston told a parliamentary committee in Canberra the claim was completely baseless.

"I will obviously apologise and express my deep regret about any hurt she has suffered," he said.

The Australian Defence Force had previously apologised to the London-based actress over the leak but had until now refused to deny the claims, saying they were the subject of an investigation.

[Jacob]

From where I'm standing, that's good news - because it means my chance for deployment has just risen through the roof. But then again, it's not good news.

[Husar]

So you guys are moving from one Muslim hell hole to another.

Please don't come in the Balkans,
'cause whenever a western force comes here,
it sides along the muslims,
against Christian (or atheist, or whatever) Serbs.

Thanks in advance.

[Jacob]

Please don't come in the Balkans,
'cause whenever a western force comes here,
it sides along the muslims,
against Christain (or atheist, or whatever) Serbs.

Thanks in advance.

We side with those who have the nation's best interests at heart, not those causing the cancerous problems.