Very few understand why we were there Veteran MP wants review of Afghanistan
Coalition MP and Afghanistan war veteran Phil Thompson is calling for a review of Australiaâs entire drawdown from Afghanistan to make sure the lessons are learned before leaders send the nationâs bravest into harmâs way again.
His call comes as Australia tells the hundreds of Afghans with visas who were left behind to wait to hear from Home Affairs officials about when it might be safe for them to leave the country.
Liberal MP Phil Thompson wants a parliamentary inquiry into Australiaâs drawdown from Afghanistan.Credit:Alex Ellinghausen
Mr Thompson, who served with the Army in East Timor and Afghanistan, says the review should be done by a parliamentary committee, independent of Defence. Heâd like an examination of the entire drawdown over the past seven years, starting from when Australia was at full operation in the Uruzgan province, moving to the scaling back and plans with the US for transferring the bases, and then onto the emergency mission of the past fortnight to evacuate Australians and Afghans who helped Defence Force personnel.
But he doesnât want it to be a âblame gameâ, saying leaders needed to improve their knowledge of âwhy we send people to places like this and how we can support themâ.
âI look around parliament and I see very few people who understand why we were actually there,â he said, adding there were a lot of âarmchair expertsâ now emerging.
âIf thereâs another war or thereâs another time when we do have to send our bravest into harmâs way we should know why weâre doing that.
âWe had lessons learned from Vietnam, we had lessons learned from East Timor, from Rwanda, from Somalia but I donât think weâve had the lessons from here.â
Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Defence Minister Peter Dutton.Credit:Alex Ellinghausen
Heâs raised the idea of a review with Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Defence Minister Peter Dutton and intends to keep doing so, but said he didnât want to speak publicly until the mission to evacuate people had ended.
Australia evacuated 4100 people over nine days before withdrawing its last forces on Friday, when the situation around the Kabul airport became too dangerous.
The Department of Foreign Affairs declined to answer questions on Monday about how many Australians or Afghans with visas for Australia remained in the country, while Home Affairs said it was not a matter for them.
Itâs believed there were more than 1000 Afghans who hold visas left behind. A government source said there are also more than 100 dual Australian citizens in the country, although they are not necessarily seeking to leave.
Foreign Minister Marise Payne released a joint statement with Australiaâs allies overnight on Monday acknowledging the Taliban had given assurances that all foreign nationals and Afghan citizens with travel authorisation would be allowed to leave.
âThe undertaking by the Taliban is one which is being closely watched by the international community,â she said later on Monday.
âIn terms of those who have been granted ⦠those temporary safe haven visas, they will be contacted through the processes of the Department of Home Affairs about what to do when it is safe.â
Mr Morrison said the government was âvery keen to meet at least the 3000 that we would like to see taken into Australia under our humanitarian program this yearâ and that more places would be provided for Afghans if circumstances required.
US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken said America would continue trying to get its citizens and Afghans out of the country, either over land or by charter flights once Kabul airport reopens.
âWe will continue our relentless efforts to help Americans, foreign nationals and Afghans leave Afghanistan if they choose,â he said. âOur commitment to them holds no deadline.â
With AP
Katina Curtis is a political reporter for The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age, based at Parliament House in Canberra.
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