Julia Gillard reaffirms Afghan mission
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Prime Minister Julia Gillard has reaffirmed Australia's commitment to stay and follow the mission in Afghanistan, as news of another soldier losing his life in the war came in.
"Every loss in Afghanistan hurts us as a nation," Gillard said in Canberra, offering her condolences to the soldier who lost his life.
She said there would be some that "despair and wonder" why Australia remained in Afghanistan and whether any progress was being made there.
"I think the best thing I can say to people is to reiterate the words of Ben Robert Smith, our most recent VC (Victoria Cross) winner," she said, adding, "He said to me and he said to the nation, we are making a difference in Afghanistan. Progress is being made."
Afghanistan's President Hamid Karzai has said he wants local control of security in place by 2014.
Gillard said the process for Australia's withdrawal of forces remained unchanged.
"We will be there seeing the mission through," she said.
"Transition won't be a day, or a moment in time — it will be a process as areas of Afghanistan are sufficiently stabilised and local security forces are trained to take over.
"There is no point pulling out only to go back in.
"It remained important that Afghanistan never again become a safe haven for terrorists, Gillard said.
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