von The death of Osama Bin Laden is for a number of Australian families and for very many people in the United States a reminder of a terrible tragic personal event where loved ones were taken away in the blink of an eye.
It will provide closure in that respect.
While some might describe some reactions within the United States as triumphalism, we do need to understand the raw emotions that are there for a country, a people, and individual families.
Osama Bin Laden was directly responsible for terrible acts of violence against innocent people, and he inspired acts of violence by others.
Australia’s involvement in Afghanistan, under the continuing mandate of the United Nations, traces directly back to the 11th of September 2001, the day al-Qaeda killed over 3000 people from more than 90 countries, including our own, in its terrible attacks in the United States.
Bin Laden’s Al Qaeda also planned, carried out, or inspired many other terrorist atrocities in which Australians were killed and wounded: in Bali, in London, in Mumbai and in Jakarta.
While the death of Osama Bin Laden is undoubtedly a significant setback for Al Qaeda, it is not the end of the battle.
As the Prime Minister said at the time “Our fight against terrorism does not end with bin Laden’s death. We must remain vigilant against the threat posed by al Qaeda and the groups it has inspired. We will continue our support for the counter-terrorism efforts of the United States and our partners and we will continue our efforts in Afghanistan to ensure that country never again becomes a safe haven for terrorism.”
The end of Osama Bin Laden does not mean either a change to or the end of our commitment to Afghanistan.
It similarly does not mean an end to the threat of global terror.
The Government has made clear to the travelling public that there is a risk of reprisals and while neither the domestic nor international threat alert has been increased, people do need to conduct themselves with vigilance.
Pakistan
Much has been said about Pakistan in the context of the US mission against Osama Bin Laden.
I urge care before leaping to conclusions about Pakistan’s efforts to trace down Bin Laden. That is best left for the exhaustive assessment which is underway, in the United States and also in Pakistan.
More broadly, Australia very much supports Pakistan in its counter-terrorism and counter-extremism efforts and that is reflected by the good cooperation that we have and the enhanced counter-terrorism assistance that we have provided to Pakistan in recent years.
We know the situation in Pakistan is complex, we know it is complicated, we know it is tough.
We also know that Pakistan needs to do more to counter extremism and terrorism, particularly on the Afghanistan/Pakistan border.
There is certainly no point in walking away from Pakistan when Pakistan faces very considerable security and economic challenges and difficulties. Our support and assistance to Pakistan is not just on the counter-terrorism front – which we regard as very important – it is also on the economic front.
Pakistan is not going to overcome its extremism and terrorism and security problems without also making progress on its economic front.
And that is why Australia has in addition to effectively doubling the number of Pakistani military officers that we train in counter-insurgency, also doubled our development assistance.
And that is why Australia was one of the strongest contributors in the aftermath of the terrible floods in Pakistan at the end of last year.
There is no point in walking away from this difficult challenge. That, in my view, would be wrong and it would not assist Pakistan or the region.
Casualties
Australians can be proud of the fact that our troops have a well-deserved reputation for their effectiveness and their conduct. During my recent visit to Afghanistan I heard nothing but praise from Afghan Government Ministers and NATO/ISAF Commanders.
It was a great honour to be able to address our troops on Anzac Day at the Dawn Service in Tarin Kot.
It was also a day to remember those 23 brave Australian soldiers who have died in Afghanistan, and the 169 courageous soldiers who have been wounded.
The sacrifice our men and women are making is great, as is the appreciation of our nation and our people.
Our forces face a resilient insurgency, who, in coming months, will seek to re-take ground.
In this environment, we must steel ourselves for the possibility of further fatalities and casualties.
Despite these tragic losses and the challenges ahead, Australia remains resolute.
Conclusion
Australia’s mission in Afghanistan remains vital to our national security interests. We are committed to stabilising the security situation in Afghanistan and to mentoring and training the Afghan security forces.
There will be setbacks and there will be adverse incidents. The Taliban will strike back and try to recover ground, and they will also, we know, try to use high-profile incidents as propaganda events to undermine confidence.
If we can hold the gains we have made over the northern winter, we will be in a much improved position at the end of the year.
There is a long way to go, but I believe we have both the military and political strategy in place, the resources to match it and the people on the ground to deliver it.
Press release
Ministerial Support and Public Affairs,
Department of Defence,
Canberra, Australia
