Afghanistan War: Australia Pledges $300 Million To Afghan Forces

CANBERRA, Australia -- Australia will contribute $100 million annually for three years beginning in 2015 toward the $4 billion a year cost of running the Afghan National Security Forces after they take responsibility for their country's security.

Prime Minister Julia Gillard and Defense Minister Stephen Smith said in a statement Wednesday they will take this commitment to the NATO and U.S.-led International Security Assistance Force summit in Chicago on Sunday and Monday.

This follows Australia's commitment to the Afghan National Army Trust Fund of $200 million over five years beginning in 2009-10.

Afghanistan will have responsibility for its own security by the end of 2014.

Gillard said she spoke by telephone to President Barack Obama late Tuesday about the size of the Australian financial contribution to the costs of the Afghan forces.

"That's going to cost some money to sustain those forces, just over $4 billion," Gillard told reporters. "Australia is prepared to play its part in meeting those costs for Afghan forces."

"As a nation, we have invested a lot in Afghanistan. We have been there to make sure that it is never again a safe haven for terrorists," she added.

The White House said Obama had "expressed appreciation for Australia's significant contributions" in Afghanistan during his phone conversation with Gillard.

Australia has 1,550 troops in Afghanistan and is the largest military contributor to the campaign outside NATO.

Australia also contributes the third largest number of Special Forces elite troops. Wednesday's statement said Australia will consider an ongoing Special Forces presence in Afghanistan, if requested, after the Afghans take control.

The Australian statement said the government will maintain a substantial development assistance program in Afghanistan beyond 2014 to help provide services such as education and health.

Earlier on HuffPost:

Comments

[cheesesteak wid]

01:54 PM on 05/20/2012

another source of money for the corrupt Karzhai's gov't. These depots survive by milking the G8 for money that never gets to the people. It just lines their pockets.

[rissole]

11:13 PM on 05/16/2012

For all the good it will do they might was well just give it to me.

[OzzieTonto]

03:14 AM on 05/17/2012

Those are MY tax dollars: if they bounce back, I want 'em!

[Lechiffre]

06:01 PM on 05/16/2012

the proceed from the carbon tax eh Juliar !

[GSR]

05:46 PM on 05/16/2012

It's the pottery house rule. Australia went in with the US 12 years ago. It has a duty to at least try to leave it in some sort of shape that could be mistaken for 'reasonable'.
Let's hope that happens.

[hdgoose]

03:51 PM on 05/16/2012

Why does it take 12 years for them to be on their own? Dont you think think thats an extremely excessive amount of time? Also; the first thing their forces will do is to kick out all NATO and US troops after we train them and give them weapons. Dont we learn from history when we did that when they were fighting the Russians over there? Dont we ever learn from mistakes? Doesnt anyone in charge remember these things?

[aninteriorlife]

03:49 PM on 05/16/2012

To all you disaffected. It's aboutpreventing more acts like nine eleven, and, "keywords"...preventing a haven for terrorists...All free nations have a responsibility towards that goal.

[sheralroh]

03:46 PM on 05/16/2012

the Aussie govt. is not doing what the citizens approve of, that's for sure. The refugees are floating down into Australia, demanding housing and money that even the citizens don't get; they are trying to impose their religion on the Aussie women by trying to make them not wear bikinis at the beach... they want to be allowed to take their driver's license photo while wearing their full head gear and robes, they want to enter banks with their faces completely covered. When are the bleeding heart westeners going to wake up and realize that we are being taken over and the kicker is, we're paying them to do it.... seriously... get a clue

[GSR]

05:40 PM on 05/16/2012

Not a syllable of this hate-filled rant is true.

[WellReadAussie2]

07:39 PM on 05/16/2012

Get a life.....and while you're at it.....get some CORRECT information.

[john yunker]

03:18 PM on 05/16/2012

What are we getting for our money?Ocean front property?Does karzai have pics of our world leaders with young Afghani women to backmail? doea he have the passwords to all the secret swiss bank accounts? Did Obama mistakenly give him our launch codes? WHAT Why are we there? The moment our backs are tturned we areActually shot in them.Our loved ones(mostly poor) young people are dying for who? Karzai?If we left he would be dead in 2 days tops, so who are we fighting for..They do not give two craps about us..Their own leaders( IMAMS.Religious leaders) tell them we are invaders, Infidels,Christian target practice dummies ETC. !0 more years and 20 billion dollars for WHAT Is there platinum in them thar hills?Gold? Diamonds? they belong to the Afghan people and we won't see one..I just don't get it!!

[john yunker]

03:07 PM on 05/16/2012

hey huffington post you did it again. You didn't post my comment. Why was it totruthful for you.

[weedo11]

02:07 PM on 05/16/2012

Well you know where that money is going? to Karzai inc. How stupid those country's are they must be takeing lesson's from our lazyA.. congress and Walking Eagle.

[buminthesun421]

01:38 PM on 05/16/2012

If Australia has that kind of money to toss around, why don't they throw the USA a couple of bucks..?? We seem to need it right about now...

[OzzieTonto]

03:23 AM on 05/17/2012

Nice try, bub. Go get back all that moola you're shovelling to your plutocrats, or spending seventy percent of all the arms money in the world, and you'll all be rich. We're busy building China; they pay real well!

[Stavo]

01:35 PM on 05/16/2012

Guess Austrailia is using the US ploy....to pay the enemy not to kill you. Worked in Vietnam for a while. lol

[RichMary]

01:18 PM on 05/16/2012

Thank You Australia! We Stand With You! We Just Hope The Afghans Can Stand With Each Other!

[WellReadAussie2]

07:42 PM on 05/16/2012

Complimentary...thanks.

F&F from Sydney

[GiveRonaChance]

12:50 PM on 05/16/2012

Soon enough, with all the money the U.S. and other countries are pumping into this bottomless pit, Afghanistan will be richer than Saudi Arabia!

[fredgladys]

02:01 PM on 05/16/2012

Not all Afghans just Karzai and the elites.