afghanistan situation grim says rudd

Prime Minister Kevin Rudd says the security situation in Afghanistan is "grim" and Australians need to prepare themselves for more casualties in a "difficult, dangerous and bloody" year ahead.

Mr Rudd was speaking in Canberra after an Australian special forces commando was killed and four of his comrades were wounded in a firefight with Taliban militants near their base in the southern Uruzgan province.

Twenty-seven-year-old Special Operations Task Group (SOTG) member Lance Corporal Jason Marks was killed early this morning during an attack on a "substantial number" of Taliban militants around 25 kilometres south of the Australian base at Tarin Kowt.

"The security situation in Afghanistan remains grim," Mr Rudd told a Canberra press conference.

"This is a dangerous and difficult operating environment for the Australian Defence Forces and it is likely to become more difficult in the period ahead.

"2008 will be difficult, dangerous and bloody and the Australian nation needs to prepare itself."

Lance Corporal Marks's death early this morning came against the backdrop of wider unrest in Afghanistan.

In Kabul soldiers and politicians were sent scrambling for cover when Taliban fighters launched an audacious raid on a military parade attended by President Hamid Karzai.

Three people including an Afghan MP were killed in the attack.

Violence in the country is expected to rise as the winter snows melt and the traditional campaigning season begins.

------------------------------------------------------

This Labor government is just as stupid as the previous Liberal government was on middle-eastern issues. Correct that to almost as stupid as Labor is pulling out of Iraq. Who here really cares what happens in Afghanistan ? Anyone ???? So why are we there suffering casualities ???

Dave R.