Aussie robustness in face of the grim

Just remember their prime minister is from the Labour Party (like the British PM):

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 death takes the Australian death toll since 2001 to five.

"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 for further losses in the year ahead."

Mr Rudd said Australia's military commitment in Afghanistan was not open ended.

"I've committed this Australian government to being there for the long haul, but it's not a blank cheque - we'll continue to review this," he said.

Mr Rudd says there will be annual reviews of Australia's troop commitment in the country.

Opposition defence spokesman Nick Minchin says the attack should strengthen Australia's resolve to keep up the fight in Afghanistan [emphasis added]...

Meanwhile, the assassination attempt on Afghan President Karzai is being rather overblown. Recall that Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi was assassinated by Sikh members of her own bodyguard, and her son, Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, was assassinated by a Tamil Tiger suicide bomber.