Wednesday, June 21, 2006
Australian RhetIraq: Defense Minister on Pullout from al-Muthana
Who: Brendan Nelson, Australia Defense Minister
Source: Associated Press via Mainichi Daily News
Quotes: From article titled, "Australia to review its troop levels in Iraq by 2007"
Australia will review its troop deployment to Iraq by the end of this year, Defense Minister Brendan Nelson said Wednesday.
Australia -- a staunch U.S. ally -- has around 1,320 troops in Iraq and the Middle East, including 460 troops guarding Japanese reconstruction efforts in Iraq's southern Muthana province.
Earlier this week, the Iraqi government announced that Australian and British forces would soon hand over security responsibilities in the province to Iraqi forces. Japan has also announced its withdrawal from the region.
He said Australia would evaluate the success of the Iraqi forces in protecting Muthana province before reassessing its military presence in Iraq.
"If we can see that the provisional Iraqi government in al-Muthana can successfully manage its own affairs and its own security then I would expect that by the end of this year we would be starting to think about our future deployment."
The minister said he expected Iraqi forces would soon assume security responsibility over the entire country, and would then ask coalition partners to withdraw.
"At that point Australia will then move to withdraw," Nelson said.
Nelson earlier warned that militants might step up attacks in Muthana once foreign troops leave.
"The insurgents ... might possibly want to target al-Muthana as being the first province to go to Iraqi control," Nelson told reporters on Tuesday. But "we are confident that the soldiers and the Iraqi army that we have trained in al-Muthana are very much up to the task of providing their own security." (AP)
Source: Associated Press via Mainichi Daily News
Quotes: From article titled, "Australia to review its troop levels in Iraq by 2007"
Australia will review its troop deployment to Iraq by the end of this year, Defense Minister Brendan Nelson said Wednesday.
Australia -- a staunch U.S. ally -- has around 1,320 troops in Iraq and the Middle East, including 460 troops guarding Japanese reconstruction efforts in Iraq's southern Muthana province.
Earlier this week, the Iraqi government announced that Australian and British forces would soon hand over security responsibilities in the province to Iraqi forces. Japan has also announced its withdrawal from the region.
He said Australia would evaluate the success of the Iraqi forces in protecting Muthana province before reassessing its military presence in Iraq.
"If we can see that the provisional Iraqi government in al-Muthana can successfully manage its own affairs and its own security then I would expect that by the end of this year we would be starting to think about our future deployment."
The minister said he expected Iraqi forces would soon assume security responsibility over the entire country, and would then ask coalition partners to withdraw.
"At that point Australia will then move to withdraw," Nelson said.
Nelson earlier warned that militants might step up attacks in Muthana once foreign troops leave.
"The insurgents ... might possibly want to target al-Muthana as being the first province to go to Iraqi control," Nelson told reporters on Tuesday. But "we are confident that the soldiers and the Iraqi army that we have trained in al-Muthana are very much up to the task of providing their own security." (AP)
