Fed: PM to make announcement on Afghan contribution next week

AAP General News (Australia)
08-04-2006
Fed: PM to make announcement on Afghan contribution next week

CANBERRA, Aug 4 AAP - Prime Minister John Howard is set to announce plans next week
for Australia to send extra troops to Afghanistan to deal with the nation's deteriorating
security situation.

Around 240 troops, of which half will be engineers and tradesmen, are currently preparing
to head to the province of Oruzgan to work with Dutch troops on reconstruction of the
province.

Defence Minister Brendan Nelson has indicated Australia is preparing to send in further
reinforcements to bolster security in the region.

"At the moment, apart from Chinook helicopters, we are considering the possibility
of increasing our security numbers," he told reporters today.

Dr Nelson said Australian soldiers had a right to expect that everything possible would
be done to protect them.

"At the moment we're getting people ready for further deployment to Afghanistan. We
believe there is an argument for increasing our numbers in terms of close protection and
we are preparing some soldiers to go," he said.

"An announcement will be made about this next week by the prime minister."

Australia has 300 troops in the special forces task group operating separately in Oruzgan
Province.

There is also another 100 personnel operating two Chinook helicopters.

AAP so/sb/sp

KEYWORD: AFGHAN AUST

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