ANDREW GREENE: Diggers are still fighting 25 years after troops went into Afghanistan war
Australia’s longest war began a quarter of a century ago but the deep psychological and physical scars from the 20-year-long deployment will be felt for many decades more, well into the next century.
Australia’s longest war began a quarter of a century ago but the deep psychological and physical scars from the 20-year-long deployment will continue to be felt for many decades more, well into the next century.
Following the devasting September 11 terror attacks against America, the Howard government committed to a multinational response against the Taliban, with more than 35,000 defence personnel eventually serving across related operations until 2021.
Forty-seven Australians died during their service in Afghanistan and 263 were wounded.
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By continuing you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy.Tragically, even more ADF veterans are believed to have died from suicide following their service in the conflict than were killed by the Taliban enemy during the lengthy war.
Five years on from the formal end of Australia’s operations, thousands of veterans of the conflict continue to live with trauma and physical injuries from their service.
After the withdrawal of international forces from Afghanistan, the Morrison government reluctantly agreed to establish the Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide.
Harrowing findings from the royal commission are continuing to be dealt with as the Government works to improve how the Department of Veterans’ Affairs assesses and then treats those who have served their country in uniform.
As Parliament resumed on Monday, the Prime Minister and Opposition Leader both spoke at the start of Question Time to acknowledge the great toll the country continues to carry from the war.
Anthony Albanese told the House that Australia’s troops went “so resolutely” to support the United States following the September 11 terrorist attacks.
“They made an invaluable contribution to a complex, multinational mission, upholding the finest of Australian military traditions in the process,” the PM said.
Angus Taylor backed Mr Albanese’s words and noted that “many still bear the wounds of their service, seen and unseen.”
“We owe them a debt that can never be repaid. That our nation will never forget and will always honour what they achieved,” the Liberal leader said.
There are many other difficult legacies for Australia from its involvement in Afghanistan, particularly the damning findings of the Brereton inquiry into alleged war crimes and the subsequent handling of the cases.
Australia’s new army chief, Lieutenant General Susan Coyle, has acknowledged the long, protracted legal process is harming the families of those accused of wrongdoing on the battlefield.
“We have to support all of our people and their families. I mean, these are significant allegations, and we also have to support those that have the moral courage to speak up and raise those allegations,” she told The Nightly last week.
“I acknowledge, though, the longer these go on, it causes psychosocial risk to people and their families, and that’s not OK. As soon as we can get to a conclusion, we would warmly welcome that.”
There is also the unresolved challenge to trying to bring hundreds of Afghans to Australia who risked their lives to help ADF personnel during their operations against the Taliban.
“There have been some people that have fallen through the cracks,” RSL president Peter Tinley said of locally engaged Afghans who are yet to be granted humanitarian visas.
“The RSL receives letters from people from Afghanistan and from around the world just about every day that we feel, and we work with the government to make sure that each and every one of those cases is put through and considered.
“It’s a difficult issue because the verification, time and distance make it very hard. Where there is a very clear case, I’ve seen the government act. So, we really just have to take it as a case-by-case process,” he told the National Press Club on Monday.
Since the height of the Afghanistan and Iraq conflicts, successive Australian governments have also attempted to militarily pivot back closer to home, where there is growing strategic competition with China, particularly in the Pacific.
Despite concerted efforts to stay focused on Australia’s own backyard, Defence Force personnel and resources continue to be dragged back to the Middle East, most recently because of Donald Trump’s war with Iran.
Twenty-five years after Australia first went to war against the Taliban, the regime is now firmly re-established in Afghanistan, and tragically, the threat of Islamic terrorism has only grown.
