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RUEHPT/AMCONSUL PERTH PRIORITY 5084
RUEHDN/AMCONSUL SYDNEY PRIORITY 5088
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RHHMUNA/CDR USPACOM HONOLULU HI PRIORITY
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C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 CANBERRA 001071 
 
NOFORN 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/02/2019 
TAGS: PREL AS
SUBJECT: AUSTRALIA WELCOMES THE PRESIDENT'S ANNOUNCEMENT ON 
THE WAY FORWARD IN AFGHANISTAN AND PAKISTAN 
 
REF: SECSTATE 122731 
 
Classified By: Deputy Chief of Mission Daniel A. Clune.  Reasons 1.4 (a 
) (b) (d) 
 
¶1.  (C/NF) Australia welcomes the President's announcement of 
the way forward in Afghanistan and is committed to providing 
support, Foreign Minister Smith told Ambassador Bleich 
December 2.  Ambassador Bleich delivered reftel message prior 
to the President's speech.  In addition to the discussion on 
Afghanistan at the President's November 30 meeting with PM 
Rudd, Smith said that Secretary of Defense Gates had called 
Australian Defense Minister Faulkner on December 1 (local) to 
brief on the President's Afghanistan strategy.  Smith 
stressed that Australia will stand by the United States and 
will provide additional assistance, while noting that Defense 
Minister Faulkner would provide a public statement of support 
on behalf of the Australian Government following the 
President's speech.  In response to the Ambassador's 
statement that he understood that Australia was thinking in 
terms of providing an additional 125 civilians, including a 
sizeable Australian Federal Police contingent, Smith said 
this sounded about right, though he was not up on the 
details. 
 
¶2.  (SBU) Defense Minister John Faulkner gave a press 
conference after the President's speech at which he stressed 
Australia's unwavering support for the United States and the 
people of Afghanistan.  Faulkner emphasized that Australia 
welcomes the U.S. commitment of an additional 30,000 troops 
along with an additional civilian effort.  He said Australia 
is confident that the President's new approach will provide 
better outcomes for the people of Afghanistan.  Australia has 
been involved in consultations on the revised strategy at 
political and military levels, according to the Defense 
Minister, who said he had spoken with Defense Secretary Gates 
December 1 and that the Secretary had reiterated his 
appreciation for Australia's contribution. Faulkner said that 
the Chief of Defense Force had been instructed by the 
Government to review the composition of Australia's troop 
commitment to make sure it best supports the new strategy. 
 
¶3.  (SBU) Prime Minister Rudd also released a statement on 
the President's announcement. 
 
Begin text of PM Rudd's statement 
 
Prime Minister welcomes President Obama's announcement of a 
new strategy for Afghanistan 
 
The Australian Government welcomes President Obama's 
announcement of a new strategy for Afghanistan as the best 
way forward to provide security for the Afghan people and to 
train sufficient Afghan security forces over time to transfer 
responsibility to the Afghans themselves. 
 
The President has consulted closely with Australia and other 
allies on the review into Afghanistan strategy conducted by 
the Commander of the International Security Assistance Force, 
General Stanley McChrystal. 
 
In responding to the review, the President has developed a 
credible strategy designed to achieve success, a key element 
of which will be an integrated civilian-military approach 
designed to deliver security to the population and better 
governance to the people of Afghanistan. 
 
The strategy includes an emphasis on training and 
QThe strategy includes an emphasis on training and 
transferring responsibility to Afghan security forces and 
civilian authorities. 
 
The President's strategy is entirely consistent with the 
approach that Australia is taking in Afghanistan where we are 
working to train the Afghan security forces so that 
responsibility for security can be transferred to them. 
 
At the same time we will increase our Police training and 
civilian development assistance.  Australia, like the United 
States, is committed to a transition to Afghan responsibility 
as soon as conditions allow. 
 
Australia expects the Government of Afghanistan to play its 
 
CANBERRA 00001071  002 OF 002 
 
 
part in doing what is necessary to improve security and the 
delivery of Government services to its people. 
 
The Australian Government announced in April that we would 
increase our military commitment to Afghanistan by around 40 
per cent to around 1550 troops.  This increase is now almost 
complete. 
End text. 
BLEICH