Australian military denies timetable set for Afghan withdrawal

The Australian military Sunday said there was no deadline for its troops to leave southern Afghanistan, after it was reported that the force had planned for soldiers to be withdrawn by 2012.

National news agency AAP reported that under Operations Plan 2012, Afghan forces would take over the role assumed by Australian soldiers in the southern province of Uruzgan, formerly a Taliban stronghold.

But the Australian Defence Force (ADF) Sunday said this outline was a planning document and not a deadline for the force to leave.

"Let me make this point clear -- there is no timeline for the withdrawal of Australian troops from Afghanistan," Chief of Joint Operations, Lieutenant General Mark Evans said.

"That is a matter for the Australian government to decide."

"Op Plan 2012 is a tactical planning document that allows the Australian Defence Force to set benchmarks for the conduct of its operations in Afghanistan."

Evans said the plan was designed to achieve a synergy between Australian operations and the International Security Assistance Force operations in Afghanistan.

Australia has about 1,000 troops in Afghanistan and their role in Uruzgan has included training the Afghan National Army.

The AAP report quoted the Commander of Australian forces in the Middle East Major General Michael Hindmarsh as saying the 2012 plan was "ultimately aimed at propping them (Afghans) up to the point that they can swim without our assistance."

"When that occurs, well that's difficult to say. It will take time. 2012 is probably a conservative estimate. I suspect it may well be longer than that but that's the horizon we are looking at currently."

Australia began operations in Uruzgan in 2005, a province which has previously been the base for some US troops, and Hindmarsh said that a degree of stability was beginning to appear in the province.

"But it does take time and it takes a concerted effort," he said.