E&OE
31 March 2009
Interview with Scott Bevan, ABC News
Subject: International Conference on Afghanistan
BEVAN: Stephen Smith, you've just come from a meeting with President Karzai, what did he request and what did you promise in regard to Australia's contribution?
SMITH: Well, he didn't request anything; rather he expressed his very great gratitude for the contribution that Australia has made to date.
I indicated to him that we were looking very carefully at what more we could do, particularly in the area of building Afghan civilian capacity. Looking to training law and justice administration, their army, the police - the sort of things that will enable the Afghan Government and the Afghan people to stare down terrorism and manage their own affairs.
BEVAN: And did you indicate to him any firm contributions, financial or otherwise?
SMITH: No. I have made it known today that we're proposing, out of our general development assistance, that we provide the Afghanistan Government with another $21 million for development assistance in health, education and micro-finance. The sorts of areas that will help build capacity of the Afghan people to manage their own affairs. This is another part of our ongoing contribution.
As a result of this conference, we will be looking at all the things we may be able to do.
One of the advantages of this conference was the very clear focus on that there should be, not just a military contribution, but an nation building or capacity building contribution. And also the need at some stage for the Afghanistan Government to engage in a political and reconciliation conversation within the Afghan political leadership.
BEVAN: In regard to the military contribution, there has been a strong American presence at this conference, just days after the Obama Administration outlined its new strategy and approach to Pakistan and Afghanistan, what did the American representatives say to you about their request? Did they indicate any form of request for a greater contribution from Australia, particularly in regard to troop numbers?
SMITH: I spoke briefly to Secretary of State Clinton. There was no request, formal or informal, from the United States for an additional troop contribution. But we're not going to be surprised if, at some stage in the near future, that such a request comes.
This conference not only had a United States presence, it had a very strong United Nations presence and a very strong presence from Afghanistan and Pakistan's neighbours from South and Central Asia, including Iran. This is the first occasion that we've seen such a wide array of the international community attend a conference on Afghanistan.
That is a very good sign - it shows that there is strong support, strong political support, in the international community for staring down international terrorism in Afghanistan. I think Afghanistan's neighbours have worked out that this is a threat, not just to Afghanistan, not just to Pakistan, but also to South and Central Asia, and the regional community and the international community have to assist.
BEVAN: So, during those brief discussions with the American Secretary of State and other American representatives, there was no indication of any expectation at this stage from the US towards Australia?
SMITH: There was no request, either formal or informal, for an additional troop contribution.
But we know that the Obama review carries with it an expectation of an increased contribution from the United States and also a general request of increased contribution from the international community.
We also know that NATO has formally requested that all of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) countries, which include Australia, to contemplate an additional contribution for the special purposes of the Afghan elections in August this year.
BEVAN: When will that be done by the Australian Government?
SMITH: We will be giving careful consideration to the NATO request. We will give careful consideration to the United States request, if and when it comes.
And we'll make our judgement bearing in mind the benefit of the conversations we've had with the United States and the benefit of the conversations we've had here and we'll make that judgement on the basis of what we think protects and advances Australia's national interest.
BEVAN: You've used that term today at the conference and, if a stable Afghanistan is important to Australia's national interest, why wait for a request at all? Why not now make a contribution or announce a greater troop presence in Afghanistan?
SMITH: Well we very strongly believe that it is in Australia's national interest to make a contribution in Afghanistan. The Afghanistan-Pakistan border area is currently the hotbed of international terrorism and Australia and Australians have been on the receiving end, whether it's been in recent years in Bali or in recent weeks in Pakistan, where Australian citizens were involved with the touring Sri Lankan cricket team.
We'll make our decisions in our own time. We obviously want to give these matters very careful consideration and deliberation.
We're obviously wanting to and being very thoughtful about that but, in the end when we make our decisions, we'll do that at a time of our choosing, in a manner that we think respects our national interest and makes the best judgement to protect the interests of the Australian people and makes our best contribution to the international community.
BEVAN: The Australian Government has raised wanting to see what other contributions other countries, in other words, to see them do more. How did you approach that today in the various meetings you had with your counterparts?
SMITH: Its well known that we're the largest non-NATO contributor with our nearly 1100 military personnel in Oruzgan Province and as the Defence Minister has made clear, as the Prime Minister has made clear, as I've made clear, we don't want to see a circumstance where our contribution or any theoretical additional contribution might see other countries not making an appropriate contribution.
So we'll also be looking at what other like-minded countries are doing. But in the end, what will drive us will be what we think is the best decision for us to make to protect Australia's national interest.
BEVAN: You've raised the August elections, the coming elections. How confident are you that it will be free and fair elections, particularly since Australia is contributing a lot of money to support this process?
SMITH: Well we've already made announcements of contributions - $8 million to establish the electoral infrastructure in Afghanistan, the Electoral Commission and the Electoral Complaints Commission.
And we are giving consideration, as I've previously indicated, as to whether can do additional things for the purposes of the elections in August.
It's very important that the elections are full and free and fair. It is very important for that to occur. That requires transparency, it requires openness, it also requires the necessary security arrangements to enable the Afghan people to take place.
An expression of the democratic will of the Afghan people is very important and that was one of the themes of today's conference, a very clear understanding on behalf of the international community that a full and free and fair election in Afghanistan is absolutely essential to making progress. I very much share that view.
BEVAN: For all the speeches here today, how much further do you believe it's advanced the future of Afghanistan and its hopes, and the world's hopes, of it being a more peaceful place?
SMITH: Well, one day at a conference does not stare down international terrorism, but I think there's a lot of good that has come out of this conference.
Firstly, a very strong presence by the United Nations. This is a project, this is an effort that has broad international community support and is sponsored by the United Nations.
Secondly, a very strong showing by South and Central Asia, from Afghanistan and Pakistan's own region.
Thirdly, a very clear view that it won't be a military solution alone that will see the problem solved in Afghanistan - it will be a combination of a military enforcement, civilian capacity and nation building and also a political reconciliation dialogue amongst the Afghanistan people.
And finally, a very clear understanding that the difficulties in Pakistan are not just difficulties in the Afghanistan-Pakistan border area, but are a difficulty and a threat to Pakistan itself, and that needs also to be similarly addressed.
BEVAN: You've also recently said, earlier this week, that Australia is looking at further contributions. What other aspects of that market are yet to come out?
SMITH: Well, I certainly said that we were in the market for looking at additional nation building or civilian capacity building and, at the so-called Afghanistan Donors'Conference last year, we indicated a program over three years of about $250 million for that very purpose - to build the capacity of the Afghanistan nation and people, to build their capacity to manage their own affairs.
And we are looking at what more, if any, we can do on that front.
A very consistent and important theme of the conference was we have to leave the Afghan state institutions in a state where they can manage their own affairs, whether that's the state of the army, the state of the police, the state of their law and justice administration, the state of their education system, the state of their [inaudible] structure.
And we're looking at what more we can do in this area, including in areas of Australian expertise that are very important to Afghanistan's economy, for example agriculture.
BEVAN: Finally, in regard to troop numbers, how much is the Government's hesitation due to recent opinion polls suggesting a decline in support in the Australian population for Australian troops to be in Oruzgan?
SMITH: The two are unrelated. It comes of course as no surprise to us that, in a week where we saw two terrible losses, that there would be a response, and a predictable response, from the Australian community.
Equally common sense tells you that the Australian community would prefer to see difficulties to be solved by dialogue and peaceful resolution rather than through armed force. Those opinion polls come as no surprise.
What the Australian Government has been, is doing and will do in future is to make a very firm judgement of what is in our national interest.
We very strongly believe it is in our national interest to make a contribution to Afghanistan.
That area, the Afghanistan-Pakistan border area, is the hotbed of international terrorism. It poses grave risks and dangers to Australia, in South and Central Asia and the international community. It is in our national interest to make a contribution to stare that down.
BEVAN: But you don't want to want a deeply unpopular conflict on your hands as a government?
SMITH: Well, the risks of walking away are far greater than the risks of staying. That's one of the conclusions of this conference that has broad, sweeping international community support, that has come to conclude that the dangers of leaving far outweigh the dangers of staying.
BEVAN: Stephen Smith, thank you for your time.
SMITH: Thank you.
[ENDS]
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