http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2011/05/31/3231591.htm?section=justin
Manhunt after Afghan soldier killed Australian Updated Tue May 31, 2011 4:16pm AEST Previous <javascript:slideshowPrev();> Next <javascript:slideshowNext();> Slideshow: Photo 1 of 3 <http://www.abc.net.au/reslib/201105/r776149_6643915.jpg> Lance Corporal Andrew Jones was on his first deployment to Afghanistan Lance Corporal Andrew Jones was on his first deployment to Afghanistan (Australian Defence Force) * <http://www.abc.net.au/reslib/201105/r775927_6639709.asx> Video: Ex-Major General backs war effort (ABC News) * <http://www.abc.net.au/reslib/201105/r776024_6641532.asx> Video: Australian defence strategy dubbed 'out of touch' (The Midday Report) * <http://mpegmedia.abc.net.au/news/audio/twt/201105/20110531-twt1-afghandeath s.mp3> Audio: Nation mourns two soliders killed in Afghanistan (The World Today) * <http://mpegmedia.abc.net.au/news/audio/twt/201105/20110531-twt2-afghanrisks .mp3> Audio: Soldier shooting shocking but no surprise (The World Today) * <http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2011/05/31/3231327.htm> Related Story: Two soldiers die in 'very bad day' in Afghanistan A manhunt is underway for a rogue Afghan army soldier who shot dead an Australian comrade who was on guard duty in Afghanistan. Lance Corporal Andrew Jones, 25, was at a patrol base in the Chora Valley when he was shot by an Afghan National Army (ANA) soldier who was sharing guard duties with him. The Afghan soldier fled the scene and escaped despite being shot at by another ANA guard. Lance Corporal Jones was airlifted to a medical facility at Tarin Kowt, where he later died. He was on his first deployment to Afghanistan and was serving with the Mentoring Task Force, which is involved with training the Afghan army. The ANA has expressed its "shock and outrage" at the shooting and vowed to track the soldier down. Defence chief Angus Houston has confirmed a manhunt is underway. "We have his name, we have his service number. So this was not an imposter, and I would characterise him as a rogue soldier," he said. Lance Corporal Jones was one of two Australian servicemen who lost their lives in Afghanistan on Monday in what Air Chief Marshal Houston described as a "very bad day". In a separate incident, Lieutenant Marcus Case, 27, was killed when a Chinook helicopter crashed east of Tarin Kowt. Lieutenant Case, the youngest of six siblings, had recently flown helicopter rescue missions for the ADF during the Queensland floods. Lance Corporal Jones and Lieutenant Case were both from Victoria. The Defence Force is investigating both incidents. Prime Minister Julia Gillard described news of the two deaths as "heartbreaking" and offered her condolences to the families of the two men. "The nation will be thinking of these two families today," she said. "They will be thinking of them with warmth; they will be sending their sincerest best wishes at this incredibly difficult time for those two families and for our nation." Opposition Leader Tony Abbott said the soldiers' deaths were "tragic news" which would shock and sadden the nation. Offering condolences to the men's families, he said his thoughts and prayers were also with their comrades. "This is a tragedy for our country," he said. "It's a terrible personal loss for the families involved but it remains an important cause. We must support our allies in Afghanistan." Greens Leader Bob Brown has praised the soldiers for their commitment and offered his condolences, but says it is time for Australia to get out of Afghanistan. "It is time for a very serious review and I call on the Prime Minister to reconsider the Australian troop commitment," he said. "Like the Netherlands, we should bring our troops home safely to our shore." Unavoidable risk The death of Lance Corporal Jones been described as the "realisation of a long-held fear". Australian Defence Association spokesman Neil James said the risk of an Afghan soldier turning rogue was an unavoidable one. He said Australian soldiers serving in the mentoring units had always known one of their Afghan colleagues could turn on them. "The Mentoring Task Force role is inherently dangerous because it involves, just as the training team in Vietnam did, working with the security forces of the country you're helping, and occasionally one of them will prove unreliable and be an enemy sympathiser," he said. "We've said right from the start that this is a very, very dangerous role, especially because of the trust you need to have in the Afghan security force with people you work with. Mr James says the risk is unavoidable in that type of job. "Whenever you have this type of training and mentoring role that requires you to work very closely with members of a society that is riven by religious and political factionalism, there is always the risk that someone you're working with will either be working for the enemy indirectly or directly," he said. But Mr James warned against using the incident to renew calls for an end to Australia's mission in Afghanistan. "Let's have a debate, let's have an objective debate, but let's not have it full of subjective slogans like 'Oh dear, the job's too hard so we should quit'," he said. 'Shocked and disturbed' Air Chief Marshal Houston says all Afghan soldiers enrolled in the ANA are vetted by NATO recruiters. "Let me stress, we have been in Afghanistan on this mission for six years," he said. "We've worked with thousands and thousands of Afghans through those six years right from the outset, and this is the first incident we've had of this nature." Ms Gillard said Australians would be "shocked and disturbed" that a supposed friendly soldier would turn his firearm against an Australian. "I think we've got a really shared want to get to the bottom of this and to understand it," she said. But she urged people not to get discouraged by the setbacks, saying Australian troops have trained thousands of Afghan soldiers without a problem. "I, personally, when I've been in Afghanistan, have heard our soldiers compliment members of the Afghan National Army on their professionalism and their determination," she said. Ms Gillard said the Government was determined to "stay the course" in Afghanistan. "We are in Afghanistan because we don't want it to be a safe haven for terrorists," she said. "It has been in the past, and if we left a security vacuum in Afghanistan, it would be filled by terrorist groups from around the world." [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] ------------------------------------ -------------------------- Want to discuss this topic? Head on over to our discussion list, [email protected]. -------------------------- Brooks Isoldi, editor [email protected] http://www.intellnet.org Post message: [email protected] Subscribe: [email protected] Unsubscribe: [email protected] *** FAIR USE NOTICE. 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