Former Afghan diplomat in Canberra Fazal Katawazai believes it would be a "wise decision" for Australia to re-establish a presence in Afghanistan in the next few months.
The final Australian diplomats, military, and intelligence officers left the country on June 18 following a peace deal signed by the US and Taliban to withdraw all foreign troops from the conflict.
While agreeing that Australia’s withdrawal was expected due to the peace deal, Mr Katawazai said the Morrison government’s decision to close its Kabul embassy in May for an indefinite period was “concerning” and “needless”.
“The Afghan government [has been] an important partner for the past 20 years and was notified of the embassy closure only four days after their decision," he said.
“The Australian government's decisions have disappointed many Afghans, including me, and it does not appear good for the international reputation of Australia.”
On Wednesday, Prime Minister Scott Morrison confirmed the government is looking to re-establish a diplomatic presence in Kabul.
The statement came after the ABC reported that the purpose of the potential re-establishment was to monitor the Taliban and that it would initially involve stationing intelligence officers within the CIA's headquarters in the Afghan capital.
The news comes amid increasing attacks by the Taliban, who claim to have secured nearly 200 of Afghanistan's 421 districts, mostly in the northwest of the country.
Afghanistan’s Foreign Ministry on Thursday welcomed news of a potential Australian return and said it was working closely with Canberra to prepare for a resumed presence in Kabul.
"The Australian government's support for the country's 20 years [of] achievement, in particular [towards] human rights, women's rights and the peace process in Afghanistan, is a sign of solidarity between the two nations and of strategic cooperation," the statement reads.
"The foreign ministers of the two countries are expected to discuss the Australian diplomatic presence in Afghanistan in the coming days."
SBS News:
Mr Katawazai believes an Australian return is proof that it would “live up to the commitments it has made to Afghans over the past 20 years”.
As well as providing military, financial and technical assistance to the Afghan government going forward, the political analyst believes Canberra could “apply pressure” to neighbouring Pakistan to “stop harbouring Taliban fighters”.
“[Australia can use] its political, economic and diplomatic influence and international weight to pressure Pakistan particularly at the UN Security Council level."
In a statement at an international conference in Uzbekistan in mid-July, Afghan President Ashraf Ghani said intelligence indicated that up to 10,000 Jihadi fighters had entered the country from Pakistan over the past month, a claim rejected by Pakistan’s Prime Minister Imran Khan.
In a response at the same summit, Mr Khan said the claims were "unfair" and added that Pakistan was the country “most affected by turmoil in Afghanistan” as it has suffered 70,000 casualties over the past 15 years.
Mr Katawazai said if the ongoing peace talks between the Afghan government and Taliban fail, it would be up to the international community to increase diplomatic pressure on Pakistan “instead of sending foreign troops”.
He said it was also essential for foreign countries to increase their long term financial and military support to Afghanistan’s security forces.
Australia should provide technical support in many areas in close consultation with the Afghanistan government.
'Afghans must also respect each other'
Territorial gains by the Taliban have led to speculation and fears among Afghans that the freedoms enjoyed by women since the Coalition operation began in 2001, would be lost.
Maryam Zahid, the founder and director of the group Afghan Women on the Move, told SBS Pashto that as intra-Afghan peace talks continue, the issue of gender equality was one that all parties needed to “proceed with caution” to address.
“Intra-Afghan consultation with multiple stakeholders, including disparate tribal leaders needs to be clear, to pass the message to the citizens," she said.
“Whether they are men, women or children, the current achievements from the past two decades have aligned to their vision. In order for outsiders to respect our inherent sovereignty, independence and strengths in-house, all Afghans must also respect each other to maintain territorial integrity.”
She said the possibility of Australia’s return to Afghanistan was a “meaningful decision” but believes the country doesn’t require a troop redeployment.
“We do not need soldiers, and fighters per se but boots on the ground to increase negotiations.
“[We need] multiple platforms and advocates to bring a balanced approach to our beautiful nation that is Afghanistan. While we need international support, it's also incumbent for those to take accountability and create dialogue to end this climate of chaos between the Afghan government, and its own people.”
'The time to act is now'
As Coalition efforts in the conflict draw to a close, the federal government has accelerated the processing of asylum applications for Locally Engaged Employees (LEEs) who worked alongside Australian troops.
The Department of Home Affairs that more than 1400 visas have been granted to Afghan LEEs and their eligible family members since 2013.
Dr Kay Danes, Adjunct Lecturer at the University of New England, believes the Morrison government should “immediately” evacuate the Afghans who worked at the Australian embassy and their families.
In her capacity as an independent humanitarian advocate for the Australian Embassy security guards and Locally Engaged staff in Afghanistan, she said it was vital for the government to expedite the evacuation process for this cohort.
“We have the skills and qualifications to prepare the security guards' applications and their families for the Australian government to grant them visas," she said.
“We have currently prepared decades of that critical data into a database that would allow the Australian government to make an informed decision on the repatriation of the Australian Embassy security guards, their families and those others who worked for the Australian Embassy and its contacts in Afghanistan. The time to act is now.”
In June, a Home Affairs spokesperson told SBS Pashto it was “urgently processing the on-hand Afghan LEE caseload”, and that “Afghan LEEs and their immediate family members with valid Australian visas are automatically exempt from Australia’s travel restrictions”.
