Australian Troops in Afghanistan

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/07/world/asia/07taliban.html?pagewanted=all

Currently researching Australia's involvement in Afghanistan as part of an assignment and am torn as to whether we should be there or not. On the one hand, as a liberal nation we have a moral obligation to restore peace to the people of Afghanistan and overthrow the Taliban's horrific regime. But on the other hand, many of the civilians we are supposed to be protecting are working undercover for Taliban soldiers, passing false information to American and Australian officials and setting off roadside bombs.
According to the article above, the Taliban still has immense influence over local Afghani's. One particular section struck me most:


Last fall, when the Taliban ordered residents not to vote in the parliamentary elections, the officers said, the order had its intended effect. “There are 110,000 people in Andar,” said Sgt. First Class Jason S. Werts, the battalion’s senior intelligence sergeant. “Three people voted.”

We've lost 28 Aussie lives in Afghanistan to date- have they been in vain? Let us hope not.