Afghanistan War: the debate the politicians( and the media) denied us

Hosted by: Australian Institute of International Affairs, NSW

The event will start on: Tuesday, 24 August 2010 6:15 PM

And will end on: Tuesday, 24 August 2010 7:30 PM

At The Glover Cottages, Sydney

124 Kent Street , Sydney NSW

02 9247 2709     nswexec@aiia.asn.au

Posted by: nsw   

In the election campaign just grinding to a close, the word ‘Afghanistan’ has been hardly mentioned - partly because the major parties have a consensus that Australia must continue its involvement until the security of the country can be safely handed over to the government in Kabul.

But will that day ever come?  Is the notion illusory - despite the achievements of  Australian soldiers in
Oruzgan province?

The commander-in-chief of the Allies, President Barack Obama, has set July next year as the date when the United States would begin withdrawing troops from Afghanistan - in the wake of a 30,000 strong surge he authorised last December. But while the July 2011 date has been the subject of intensive debate in America, it has scarcely been discussed in Australia. Nor has the departure next year of Robert Gates, the US Defence Secretary. (And by the time of our discussion, Australia will have a new defence minister)

So what are realistic goals for the Allies?  Is Australia’s  “clear, hold, build” in conflict with the latest US intentions?   If that’s so should someone (who?) be negotiating with the Taliban?  What about Al Qa'ida?  Would an agreement of some kind with the Taliban in Afghanistan just free Al Qa'ida and the Pakistan Taliban to concentrate on taking over that nuclear-armed nation?  What do all these things mean for Australia’s contribution?

Come and join in our discussion next Tuesday

The discussion will be led by Dr Whit Mason and Jim Terrie, and include short excerpts from recent video :

Whit Mason has lived and worked outside his native US since 1989, and has had a varied journalistic career. He was communications and outreach director for USAID in Pakistan, and in 2008 opened the UN justice coordination office for southern Afghanistan.  He is a non-resident Fellow of the West Asia program of the Lowy Institute, and is currently advisor to USIP’s dispute resolution project in Afghanistan.

Jim Terrie, Deputy President of the Branch from 1999 to 2003, graduated from RMC Duntroon in 1986 and subsequently served in the Australian Army in various appointments.  He joined the International Crisis Group’s Africa program in 2003, and subsequently worked in Africa and Asia. In early 2009 he returned to active duty and has recently returned from an operational tour of the Gulf States and Afghanistan.