8/31/2021

Brief History: Australia's Involvement During The Invasion And Occupation Of Afghanistan - Part 1/3

 


The Australian involvement in the invasion and subsequent occupation of Afghanistan have been known as Operation Slipper (2001–2014) and Operation Highroad (2015-2021).

Operation Slipper and Operation Highroad, date: 2001 – 2021

Casualties: 41 killed, 261 wounded, 500 committed suicide back home.

Australian Defence Force (ADF) operations and the size of the forces deployed have varied and ADF involvement has included two major areas of activity:

1. Afghanistan
2. Persian Gulf.

These activities have seen the deployment of naval, air and land forces that have taken part in combat and combat support operations as part of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF).

In mid-2014, the naval and logistic support operations in the Persian Gulf were re-designated as Operation Manitou and Operation Accordion respectively.

Operation Slipper began in late 2001 and ended on 31 December 2014.

During the first phase of Operation Slipper, the ADF commitment to Afghanistan consisted of a Special Forces Task Group and two Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) Boeing 707 air-to-air refuelling aircraft from No. 33 Squadron. These aircraft and associated support personnel operated from Manas Air Base in Kyrgyzstan and provided support to coalition aircraft operating in Afghan airspace.

Two RAAF AP-3C Orion aircraft flew maritime patrol missions in support of maritime interdiction operations in the Persian Gulf. These aircraft were temporarily retasked to Operations Falconer and Catalyst in 2003.

RAAF C-130 Hercules transport aircraft were also involved in providing logistic support for deployed forces.

The Special Forces were involved with the establishment of the US-led coalition's first Forward Operating Base (Camp Rhino) southwest of Kandahar in November 2001, followed by the capture of Kandahar International Airport in December 2001.

The initial ADF commitment in Afghanistan concluded in December 2002, when the Special Air Service Task Group was withdrawn. Following this date until 2005 Australia's total contribution in Afghanistan were two officers attached to the NATO and the Coalition Landmine Clearing Force.

All three squadrons of the Australian Special Air Service Regiment (SASR) were deployed to Afghanistan in 2001 and 2002. The dates of these deployments were:

1 Squadron Group, SASR: (October 2001 – April 2002)

3 Squadron Group, SASR: (April 2002 – August 2002)

2 Squadron Group, SASR: (August 2002 – November 2002)


In Phase 2, an Australian Special Forces Task Group was re-deployed to Afghanistan in August 2005. This Task Group consisted of elements from the SASR, 4th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment (Commando), the Incident Response Regiment and logistic support personnel. As well as heavily modified Land Rovers, the Special Forces Task Group was also equipped with some Bushmaster infantry mobility vehicles.

A detachment of two CH-47 Chinook helicopters from the 5th Aviation Regiment was deployed to Afghanistan in March 2006 to support the Special Forces Task Group.

The Australian Special Forces Task Group was withdrawn from Afghanistan in September 2006 and the helicopter detachment returned to Australia in April 2007. Public opinions against the ASF massacre of innocent Afghan civilians were mounting.

LIPS.


10 comments:

A-Non-Yes-Mouse said...

One very significant factor about the Australian involvement in this illegal invasion of Afghanistan led by the evil US Empire is the very high number of Australia soldiers committing suicide back home in Australia. The psychological toll and guilt consciousness must have caused such a rare and scary phenomenon.

The murders of defenceless innocent Afghan women, children and aged folks must have generated such a tremendous amount of bad Karma that Retribution is Immediately experienced within their lifetime.

Being descendants from the murderous criminals from the Evil British Empire sent from British prisons to do havoc in Australia and robbed the natives of Australia of the land and annexed it and subsequently occupying it until today, they must have the lawless and murderous DNA gene in their blood.

Australians, true natives. must one day kick out all the Whitemen who have illegally taken over control of their country, like Afghanistan.

China must help the Native Australians to do justice for the world.

Anonymous said...

On a separate topic, ever wonder how they could claim that they could spot and recognise those suicide bombers from the air, and killed many of them converging on Kabul Airport with bombs and missiles. Do suicide bombers wear special uniforms to be spotted from the air? You know there were reports of hundreds or maybe thousands of them released by the Taliban. Don't know true boast or just fake news to demonise the Taliban?

Ever wonder also how they could distinguish Chinese poo and Caucasian poo in the South China Sea from high up in air, from satellite images. Don't know true or not? Obviously fabricated hogwash to cover up the dirty deeds of their own ships wallowing there, with no where to release those poo and just dump them into the sea.

More wonderful is that despite all the claims above, they could not see or recognise the Chinese Embassy in Belgrade, which had been there for years, and giving the unbelievable excuse that they were using an old map. Using an old map in an air strike is pure nonsense.

Anonymous said...

Operation Slipper and Operation Highroad, date: 2001 – 2021

Casualties: 41 killed, 261 wounded, 500 committed suicide back home.

---------------------

So how many Afghan civilians have been killed over the same period of time (between 2001-2021) ???

Chua Chin Leng aka redbean said...

After invading Afghanistan for 20 years, killing so many Afghans and destroying their country, the evil Americans got the cheek to ask China and Russia to let the Afghan refugees into their countries? The evil Americans created all the shit and now demanding China and Russia to clear the shit!

And a big group of Americans unable to get to the airport to flee are now gatecrashing the Chinese Embassy in Kabul begging the Chinese to help them get out of Afghanistan. They knew they have blood on their hands, and have been attacking and bullying China, now dare to ask China to help them get out for fear of their lives. They knew the Taliban would cut them up into pieces if they are found after 31/8.

China could take this opportunity to trade them for Meng Wanzhou in exchange for their safe return to the US.

Anonymous said...

The USA has no morals and no shame. How could it be otherwise when they unashamedly admitted themselves that they lie, cheat and steal?

You see, trying to ask Vietnam to join them in countering China speaks volumes of their character. Having done so much harm and damage to the Vietnamese and their country, they have the cheek to ask Vietnam to take their side.

Anonymous said...

Truth of Kabul Airport Bombing That killed 13 US soldiers, 90 Afghans Revealed - Nearly 170 Afghans were killed, many were shot dead by US soldiers !

The stunning truth behind Thursday's suicide bombings at Kabul airport that killed 13 US soldiers was revealed: around 170 Afghans died, many of those Afghans were shot dead by US soldiers.

More and more deaths were confirmed by local reports, but the number doesn't match the possible death toll that a suicide bombing could have caused. Moreover, many witnesses and families of the victims came forward to accuse the US military of shooting civilians that led to a large number of casualties. At last, the truth was gradually disclosed.

US troops at Kabul airport were in a panic after the sudden terrorist attacks. At that moment, everyone looked like a terrorist to them. This might be a reason they had indiscriminately pulled the trigger to kill. Yet the US military should at least tell the truth and should have made best efforts to prevent the indiscriminate killing of innocents due to personnel's psychological vulnerability in such a chaotic scenario. Apparently, such an attitude and efforts were missing. The US troops only care about their own safety regardless of the serious risks the locals might have to face. And the US military's orders show a tendency that they would rather get 1,000 innocent people killed than get one terrorist attacker missed.

This "accidental killings" of civilians can be argued as the epitome of most US military operations in Afghanistan and even in the Greater Middle East. No wonder former US president Donald Trump arbitrarily opposed the International Criminal Court in The Hague to try the case of possible war crimes by the US forces. He even sanctioned relevant personnel from the court. This is because Washington elites are more aware than anyone else how much blood of civilians from war-torn countries is on the hands of US troops they command.

A-Non-Yes-Mouse said...

How many Afghan casualties?

Official records show 10,000 deaths and more than 20,000 wounded Taliban fighters. But I believe there were much more. Something like 15,000 deaths and 30,000 is more likely.

Innocent civilian casualties - young and old men and women, and children - estimated casualties amount to 2 million deaths and 5 million injured. I think it is more. How much more, I do not know. Nobody keeps such records.

The only way to find out the number of civilian casualties is to check official death records in the Afghanistan government departments and the injured and dead in all the Afghan hospitals. But even then, the true and exact numbers cannot be ascertained because many dead people could not make death reports as whole families or whole villages were wiped out by the evil Australian, American, British, Canadian and European murderous special forces - specialised in Massacres of innocent helpless and defenceless people.

Anonymous said...

I understand the USA just brushed aside the ICC looking into their war crimes record.

Such world bodies are of no use when it comes to having jurisdiction over the USA. They just ride rough shod over them, if the decision is against them. Or they just threaten with withdrawal from such bodies and their funding, which such world bodies will cower in fear.

That happened to the WHO, until the WHO sang a different tune, and the bully realising that China was taking the lead and calling the shots with big donations, and perhaps under international pressure, the USA wants back in.

A-Non-Yes-Mouse said...

Every single thing that involves power and control in this world is money talks. No money no talks.

Even in Singapore, money talks amongst the highest educated and cultured people, the smart professionals, the scholars and independent academics, the medical and scientific professionals, the national leaders, including some judges and ministers. Yes, it is always money that moved the hearts and minds.

Yes, money does speak louder and stronger than the sword and the pen. WHY? WHY? WHY?

Anonymous said...

Everything revolves around money. Why did they say the love of money is the root of all evil?

And yet humans lie, cheat, steal and even kill for money.