Australia Goes to Spend $6Bn on Afghan War

Australia would have spent about $6billion on the war in Afghanistan by the time our troops leave in 2014, according to Defence. Defence Minister Stephen Smith defended the country's decade-long involvement in the conflict in Parliament yesterday. The Opposition expressed bi-partisan support. ''It is in our national interest to be in Afghanistan, not just with our alliance partner, the United States, but also with 47 other members of the International Security Assistance Force acting under a United Nations mandate,'' Mr Smith said. He welcomed El Salvador, the latest country to join the coalition, to ISAF. ''Australia's fundamental goal is to prevent Afghanistan from again being used by terrorists to plan and train for attacks on innocent civilians, including Australians, in our region and beyond.'' This has come at a cost. With almost 1000 diggers injured or wounded in the country since the war began ADF rehabilitation costs have escalated year after year. A Defence spokesman said they had jumped from $3 million in 2006-2007 to $12.6 million for 2010-2011. These figures do not include the cost of artificial limbs, appliances, physiotherapy, medications and other prescribed treatments. A total of 30 Australians, 29 ADF members and one who was serving with the British army, have also been killed. ''No liability'' payments to Afghan civilians for the deaths of family members, personal injury and damage to property stand at $169,104.