Image: Khaama

BY JESSICA GOODWIN

A rogue Afghan National Army soldier is on the run after he allegedly opened fire on Australian troops at a remote base in Afghanistan's Oruzgan Province. The Australian troops are currently in Afghanistan training the Afghan soldiers, who have been temporarily disarmed since the attack. Australia’s ninemsn reports...

Reporter: “When Nine News visited the area in August, our soldiers were working closely with the Afghan National Army.”

Soldier: “Its been reported as a fairly high insurgent zone”

Reporter: “The Afghan soldier shot two of his fellow soldiers and three Australians. He fled in an Afghan Army vehicle.”

Defence Analysts: “The Australian public got be asking questions. It is corrosive of our trust.”

ABC's Lateline spoke to Afghanistan’s Ambassador to Australia, who calls the incident ‘unfortunate’.

“But it tell us two things. One - number one is that how difficult this mission is, and the more difficult it gets, the more closer it gets to the transition dates. That's one. And the number two is it shows that, you know, the enemy is the Taliban and Al Qaeda. They will do whatever possible to have this sort of kind of spectacular attacks and to find out that the closer we gets to the transition dates, they shake the resolve of our partners.”

The Australian public is infuriated at what is considered another betrayal by the Afghan National Army. Ten days ago three Australians died when an Afghan soldier opened fire. Now the Australian media is demanding answers. A writer for the Herald Sun wrote...

“Aussie soldiers deserve better ... Were these rogue soldiers sleepers? Were they Taliban operatives who have infiltrated Australian bases? And how many other Taliban agents have secreted themselves within the Digger units? Many Australians will now be rightly questioning the strength of the trust between the Australian and Afghan troops.”

But a retired Australian Major General tells ABC Australia that he doubts the attacks on Australian troops were a deliberate strategy by the Taliban. He says,

"If you're part of a relatively sophisticated tactic that puts you into a military unit to be a sleeper, why would you not wait for the president to visit and kill him? Why would you not wait until you were in a mess hall and you take explosives into the mess hall, as happened a couple of times in Iraq, and kill 100 people?"

The Daily Telegraph has responded much differently than the rest of the Australian media.  It takes a more understanding approach toward the motives of the Afghan soldier.

“...The process of mentoring Afghan soldiers and teaching them how to kill their fellow countrymen inevitably involves a degree of patron-client relationship. This, together with Australian soldiers having shot and killed - whether advertently or inadvertently - a number of innocent Afghans in Oruzgan … can easily lead some mentorees either to act in revenge or in support of the Taliban and their associates.”

Back in Australia - there is an overwhelming call to bring their soldiers back home. An online poll conducted by News Limited, shows more than 80 per cent of Australians favoured immediate withdrawal for their troops.

The Australian agrees, stating that there isn’t much work left for Australian soldiers in Afghanistan.

“There is no longer any interest at all in thinking that we can effectively train the ANA or win the hearts and minds of the Afghan people. Therefore, if our troops are to stay in Afghanistan, there is only one mission for them, and that is to stay alive.”