Transcript of the Prime Minister's press conference. Parliament House, Canberra, April 21.

Ladies and gentlemen. I announce today that Australia is quitting the futile and unwinnable war in Afghanistan. We shall bring our troops home as soon as possible, certainly before the end of this year, hopefully before any more lives are lost.

It's time to face the truth. This is a war we should never have joined. Australia became involved solely through the Howard government's desire to ingratiate itself with the Republican administration of President George W. Bush. Labor, under both prime minister Rudd and myself, continued that policy in respect of the Democrat administration of President Barack Obama.

But the fact is that Australia's national security was never at risk in Afghanistan. For all its loathsome Islamic fanaticism, the Taliban posed no danger to our country, nor our people. It still doesn't.

As for the threat from al-Qaeda, I remind you that Osama bin Laden was taken and killed not in Afghanistan but in Pakistan. He was hiding not in some remote cave in Afghanistan's mountains but operating from a large and conspicuous villa only a short walk from Pakistan's military academy. Pakistan, nominally our ally, has shown itself to be duplicitous and treacherous. Bin Laden and al-Qaeda and, indeed, the Taliban itself, were sheltered and encouraged at the highest levels of Pakistan's army and intelligence community. Despite the billions of dollars in American and western aid poured into Pakistan each year, that support continues to this day.

We have also had to deal with the corrupt and incompetent Afghan regime of President Hamid Karzai, whose chief aim in 10 years has been to divide and rule the country's provincial warlords to retain power and untold wealth for himself, his family, and his cronies. Even as our young diggers fight Taliban forces, there is every sign that Karzai is seeking an accommodation with them. Only last Tuesday, after a round of terrorist attacks in Kabul, he referred to the Taliban – again – as “our brothers.”

Australian troops have done their best to mentor the Afghan National Army's 4th Brigade in Oruzgan province. But the truth is that it is barely competent as a fighting unit and reluctant to take the battle to the enemy.

In coming months we will hear much from the Obama White House about the ANA being ready to assume responsibility for the security of the country, thus allowing a continued “draw down” of NATO forces. In fact the timetable for withdrawal has little to do with the illusory competence of the Afghan army and everything to do with tomorrow's French presidential election and the US presidential election in November.

Have no doubt. As the last NATO troops leave Afghanistan, the Taliban will return in force. Much of the ANA will then abandon its uniforms and resume the traditional tribal occupation of growing opium poppies for the heroin trade. For all these reasons, then, my government has decided that Australia should have no further part in this misconceived and tragically misdirected war. Are there any questions ?

Mike Carlton