Australia warns over Afghan troop numbers

Australia says it will only send additional troops to Afghanistan if its Nato allies also increase their contributions.

Defence Minister Joel Fitzgibbon said today Australia would consider such a request, but the response would hinge on several conditions, including bigger troop contributions from elsewhere.

Mr Fitzgibbon’s comments on Australian Broadcasting Corp radio were made before Prime Minister Kevin Rudd spoke to Barack Obama by phone.

Mr Rudd later said in a statement that Mr Obama had thanked Australia for its contribution in Afghanistan, but he did not mention whether the two leaders discussed increasing troop numbers.

Australia has 1,000 soldiers in Afghanistan.

“We’d need to be convinced that others are prepared to do more and doing more from our side of the world would make a difference,” Mr Fitzgibbon said.

“Even doubling our troops in Afghanistan will make no difference if others are not prepared to do more and there is no overarching plan for better success,” he added.

“A substantial number of countries would have to do substantially more.”