Australia lowers flag in Iraq

[Gandalf]

FOR Australian combat troops the war in Iraq is over.

The Defence Force in southern Iraq formally handed its commitment to the United States and lowered the Australian flag above Camp Terendak, at the US-run air base Tallil, at a ceremony yesterday morning.

The handover, which fulfils the Rudd Government's election commitment to withdraw Australia's combat troops from a deeply divisive war, was based on an agreement between Australian and US commanders.

About 550 soldiers, who have been overseeing Iraqi security forces in two southern provinces as well as training Iraqi troops and police, will begin returning to Australia.

The Government confirmed last night that the handover had occurred. AAP reported that troops from the Overwatch Battle Group had already left Iraq and landed in Brisbane yesterday.

The Prime Minister, Kevin Rudd, is expected to attend a ceremony for returning troops in Queensland this month.

The Minister for Defence, Joel Fitzgibbon, said last night: "I'm immensely proud of our troops … [They] have worked tirelessly to ensure that local people in southern Iraq have the best possible chance to move on from their suffering under Saddam's regime."

Almost 14,000 Australian soldiers have served in Iraq in the past five years. The commitment has cost about $2.3 billion.

The handover will come as a welcome circuit-breaker for Mr Rudd, who has spent a week fending off damaging leaks over the Government's efforts to rein in rising fuel prices.

Mr Rudd has blamed the war as a cause of the rises, telling ABC last month that "not invading Iraq would have helped".

Australia will keep about 110 personnel in Baghdad to protect the Australian embassy. The navy will continue to patrol the Persian Gulf to protect the oil trade, as it did before the war under the UN oil-for-food program.

The army's 70-person joint command headquarters for the Middle East remains in Baghdad but is expected to be moved this year to allow a greater focus on the war in Afghanistan.

The previous prime minister, John Howard, committed Australian troops to the impending US-led war in Iraq on March 18, 2003. "Saddam Hussein is married to his weapons of mass destruction," he said. "He will never give them up willingly."

After inspectors verified that Iraq had no such weapons, Mr Howard emphasised the deposing of Saddam and support for the US alliance.

In March this year Mr Rudd travelled to Washington to meet the US President, George Bush, and confirmed Labor's plans to withdraw combat troops by the middle of the year.

Mr Bush said he appreciated Mr Rudd's decision to stand by an election commitment and believed the alliance would "strengthen and endure".

The Opposition Leader, Brendan Nelson, was a staunch supporter of the war in Iraq but has said Labor has a mandate to withdraw combat troops.

While Special Air Service members played a crucial role in the early days of the conflict - and entered western Iraq before the war formally began - other Australian troops have had less dangerous roles in support of the US-led forces.

No troops have been lost in combat, though an Australian flight lieutenant, Paul Pardoel, died while serving with the British air force, and a private, Jacob Kovco, died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

The flag ceremony, involving Australian, US and British troops, was designed to be low-key.

Hurrah!

[KlavoHunter]

A disappointment, but so long as they're shifting their attention over to far-more-winnable operations in Afghanistan, it may be a net gain.

[TheMuffinKing]

Thank you for your service and support Australia! (Needs saluting emoticon)

[Phantasee]

So are they sending more than a HQ to Afghanistan? Like combat troops? It'd be nice to see the Aussies fighting alongside the Canucks and Brits in Afghanistan.

[Kanastrous]

FWIW this American is grateful for Australians' willingness to make common cause with us, and respects their wisdom in shifting their focus out of Iraq.

[weemadando]

One good sign is that Afghanistan has been getting much more media coverage this year than for the past 3-4, which makes me hope that there may still be enough people with a collective memory good enough to remember "shit, maybe we should go back to where it was all started and actually get it working.".