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| Australia Sends 1,550 Troops to Afghanistan |
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WED, OCT 17, 2001
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Australian Prime Minister John Howard said on Wednesday his country would deploy 1,550 military personnel in Afghanistan. The decision came after a telephone conversation between the Prime Minister and US President George W. Bush on Tuesday.
During the phone conversation,President Bush asked Australia to "activate" its pledge to contribute to the recent US-British military operation in Afghanistan. Prime Minister Howard said the contribution demonstrates Australia's commitment to safeguarding certain shared values with the American people.
John Howard, Australian Prime Minister, said:"This is an expression of Australia's strong commitment and strong desire to share with the American people a common defence of things we treasure together. Certain values are the same to us as they are to the Americans and it's our desire to share in the defense of those values."
The troops to be sent, which is a larger commitment than originally announced, include elite Special Air Service troops, four fight aircraft, three frigates and two refuelling aircrafts.
The deployment comes in the midst of a Australian national election campaign. Opinion polls show the the conservative coalistion led by John Howard is heading to a third successive term. The decision to send troops has also been wholely supported by the opposition Labor Party of Australia.
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