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Australian troops to stay in Afghanistan through 2014
Source: Agence France-Presse
Australian troops to stay in Afghanistan through 2014
(AFP) – 1 hour ago
BRUSSELS — Australia vowed in an apparent U-turn Thursday to keep combat troops in Afghanistan through 2014 after Prime Minister Julia Gillard had indicated they would come home earlier than planned.
Australian Foreign Minister Bob Carr and Defence Minister Stephen Smith made the pledge during talks with NATO counterparts to fine-tune the coalition's plan to hand security control to Afghans over the next two years.
Progress in Uruzgan province, where most of Australia's 1,550 troops are based, shows that transition of security control to Afghan forces "is achievable by the end of 2014 -- possibly earlier", Carr said.
"All of us, however, must continue to be present in support of the ANSF (Afghan National Security Forces) and be combat ready to do so until transition is finally complete at the end of 2014," he said.
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(AFP) – 1 hour ago
BRUSSELS — Australia vowed in an apparent U-turn Thursday to keep combat troops in Afghanistan through 2014 after Prime Minister Julia Gillard had indicated they would come home earlier than planned.
Australian Foreign Minister Bob Carr and Defence Minister Stephen Smith made the pledge during talks with NATO counterparts to fine-tune the coalition's plan to hand security control to Afghans over the next two years.
Progress in Uruzgan province, where most of Australia's 1,550 troops are based, shows that transition of security control to Afghan forces "is achievable by the end of 2014 -- possibly earlier", Carr said.
"All of us, however, must continue to be present in support of the ANSF (Afghan National Security Forces) and be combat ready to do so until transition is finally complete at the end of 2014," he said.
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Read more: http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5gFRtkfx579cCh3LiMQBwFM2hEQBg?docId=CNG.8b71783b24f5e7db7f90ad83dd4a785d.481
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