China new Australian military focus after Afghan exit: Defence chief

Violence would continue in Afghanistan but the conflict would not be resolved militarily, General Angus Campbell told a budget estimates hearing on Tuesday, in his first appearance since the announcement of the withdrawal.

Australia's sole ongoing role will be providing humanitarian visas to Afghan workers who supported the Australian mission.

Peace negotiations with the Taliban are being conducted by the United States. Further negotiations to produce peace must be between the Afghan parties themselves, General Campbell said.

Afghan Security Forces were holding their own in parts of the country, he said, while the Taliban clearly controlled others.

"I do not think the situation is at all assured that the Taliban's claimed ascendance," General Campbell said. "I think this will be a negotiated settlement."

The withdrawal was in line with the US-Taliban negotiations and Australia's increased focus on the Indo-Pacific, he said, "where our interests are being challenged more directly."

General Campbell gave tribute to the 39,000 military personnel, their families, and diplomats, police and aid workers and civilian officials who contributed to the mission over the past two decades.

Their contribution is now being "painted in different hues".

The legacy of Australia's longest war includes denying terrorist organisations a safe haven in Afghanistan and providing significant engagement with women in Afghanistan leading to improved healthcare, education and representation in politics, the chief said. None of those benefits could have happened without the security presence of the international coalition forces and Afghan military effort.

That legacy is also coloured by the findings of the Afghanistan Inquiry Report and the work of the Office of the Special Investigator, he said, which the ADF was learning from the experience.

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"My hope that this important work will be understood from the perspective of a larger canvas." The closure of the embassy in Kabul has raised fears it will be more difficult to prosecute war crimes and increase danger to local Afghan workers who supported the Australian mission.

Since 2013, Australia has provided around 1200 resettlement visas for Afghan interpreters and security personnel and their families, deemed to face ongoing risk for their having cooperated with the Australian mission. This represents approximately 60 per cent of applications received.

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