Australia’s engagement with Afghanistan and Pakistan has been energised by the idea that their fates are ‘inextricably linked’. But a clear articulation of the hierarchy of Australian strategic interests in those two countries has been missing. In public debate, the Australian Government has tended to conflate the different challenges, relationships and opportunities we have in...

This paper provides background information on the military conflict in Afghanistan. Security issues are considered as well as the role of development assistance. The author offers a 15-year vision for Afghanistan and derives from it a medium-term strategy for assistance, leading to recommendations on Australia's role.

The January 2007 Sydney conference that Hizb ut-Tahrir (HT, the Party of Liberation) organised raises dilemmas that have a long history in liberal democracies. HT encourages indirectly, and sometimes more directly, political violence by its inciting propaganda. It uses Australian tolerance to promote radical propaganda, even against Australia itself. This paper argues that HT’s proselytising...