Media Release: AFP clarifies its commitment to Afghanistan

Release Date: Saturday, January 01 2011, 11:25 AM

The Australian Federal Police wishes to clarify its role in Afghanistan following recent reports in Australian media.
 
The primary objective of the AFP mission to Afghanistan, Operation Illuminate, is to train, develop and mentor Afghan National Police (ANP) in Uruzgan Province. This operation is undertaken in conjunction with Afghan and coalition efforts.
 
There are 28 AFP members working in Afghanistan, focussed on developing the ANP so that they, as members of the Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF), can assume responsibility for national security.

AFP members are currently deployed in three Afghan locations:

- 21 members at Tarin Kowt involved in training and mentoring Afghan National Police

- Three members at Kandahar with the NATO Training Mission-Afghanistan (NTM-A), the Joint Regional ANP Centre and the Counter Narcotics Joint Interagency Task Force Afghanistan

- Four members at Kabul providing command for the AFP Mission, liaison with the NTM-A and providing support to countering serious criminality through engagement in the International Operations Coordination Centre (IOCC) and training the Afghan Major Crime Task Force.

These roles relate directly to training the ANP and assisting in the development of ANP capabilities to deal with criminality in Afghanistan. While some of these roles require the handling of criminal intelligence, the AFP does not engage in the transfer of law enforcement information for any purpose except those associated with developing the ANP and supporting the ANP in targeting serious criminality by investigation and prosecution through the Afghan Criminal Justice system.

The AFP provided support to the Afghan Threat Finance Cell (ATFC) to assist the ANP in identifying persons involved in illicit narcotics and to support ANP investigations and prosecutions through the Afghan Criminal Justice system. The AFP’s involvement to the ATFC was discontinued in April 2010 in line with the AFP’s increased focus on training and developing the ANP in Uruzgan Province.

The AFP adheres to strict protocols prohibiting it from sharing data for military purposes or for the placement of identified persons on military targeting lists.
 
The AFP remains committed to contributing to the development, maintenance and restoration of the rule of law in countries that seek Australia’s support.

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