Fed: US set to provide combat units to support Aust forces

AAP General News (Australia)
04-16-2010
Fed: US set to provide combat units to support Aust forces

CANBERRA, April 16 AAP - The United States is set to provide key combat units to support
Australian troops as the Dutch withdraw from Oruzgan province, Defence head Air Chief
Marshal Angus Houston says.

Air Chief Marshal Houston said discussions with US Admiral Jim Stavridis this week
were preliminary and the plan is yet to be considered by either the US or Australian governments
or NATO.

He said someone needed to replace the Dutch who had provided key enabling forces used
by Australian troops in Afghanistan.

"The intent is to replace the combat enablers with American forces. That is quite logical
and probably what I would have expected," he told journalists.

Australian currently has some 1550 troops in Afghanistan, most in Oruzgan province.

Since deploying into Oruzgan in 2006, Australian troops have operated under overall
Dutch control, relying on Dutch transport and attack helicopters, jet bombers, heavy artillery,
hospital and much more.

In October, the Netherlands government voted not to extend its mission in Afghanistan.

The government collapsed following a disagreement between coalition partners over Afghanistan
with no election anticipated for some months.

Despite hopes that the Dutch might reconsider or allow some units to stay, that's now
unlikely, with the withdrawal expected to begin by August.

Air Chief Marshal Houston said United States President Barack Obama announced last
year the US would commit an additional 30,000 troops to Afghanistan and those set to go
to Oruzgan would come from that number, not in addition to it.

He said Admiral Stavridis, commander of US European Command and NATO supreme commander,
expressed total satisfaction with Australia's contribution and was eager to help resolve
issues arising from the Dutch withdrawal.

"He did give an undertaking that American forces would come in to provide the combat
enabling part of the requirement."

Air Chief Marshal Houston said the Australian government had continually rejected any
lead role for Australia and that was unlikely to change.

"But in terms of commanding the forces in the oruzgan battlespace across the board,
that is something that we are talking to NATO about," he said.

AAP mb/sb/jlw

KEYWORD: AFGHAN AUST

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