LRPV
10-23-2006, 08:51 PM
Labor bets on British Iraq exit
Patrick Walters, National security editor October 24, 2006
LABOR is banking on a British withdrawal from southern Iraq by late next year to help it honour its commitment to immediately withdraw the bulk of Australian military forces from Iraq should it win government.
Labor's promise is focused on the 490-strong overwatch battle group at Tallil airbase in Dhi Qar province that functions as a ready-reaction team for Iraqi security forces. The battle group would be the only significant element of Australia's 1400-strong commitment to coalition operations in Iraq to be withdrawn under Labor's promise to bring the troops home.
A Labor government would keep the 110-strong security detachment in Baghdad, and a headquarters element of 65 personnel also in Baghdad.
Some or all of the 30-strong army team training the Iraqi army could also be re-deployed, possibly to train Iraqi forces outside the country, possibly in Jordan. Labor would also keep a naval frigate in the Persian Gulf and the 330 air force personnel flying and maintaining P3C Orions and C-130 Hercules based in Gulf states.
While British commanders are debating their longer-term presence in the south, no decisions have been made on any permanent withdrawal of their 8000-strong force.
Coalition military sources say there is a strong prospect British forces will be in Iraq well into 2008 and that Whitehall will expect Australia to maintain some presence in the south.
Labor's defence spokesman Robert McClelland told The Australian yesterday he expected the overwatch battle group would have returned home by the time of next year's federal election, due by November. "It is conceivable we could still be in southern Iraq come election time but I think that is unlikely," he said.
Unlike the Sunni triangle, where security has sharply deteriorated in recent months, the south of Iraq is relatively calm. Dhi Qar and al-Muthanna provinces, where the Australians operate, are already under the control of Iraqi security forces.
Opposition Leader Kim Beazley said yesterday that coalition troops that remained in Iraq would be dragged more and more into what was effectively a civil war. "But what they have to comprehend, and do comprehend, is that more and more, this is not anything remotely related to a struggle with terror," he said.
"When you are in a hole, you don't keep digging. You work through a sensible strategy to extract yourself. The Americans and the British are now clearly working on exit strategies."
He said Australia should withdraw its soldiers and concentrate them in our region.
"Sometimes I think that the way John Howard's going, it will be the Australian forces who turn out the lights."
Privacy (http://javascript<b></b>:void(0)) Terms (http://javascript<b></b>:void(0)) © The Australian
Patrick Walters, National security editor October 24, 2006
LABOR is banking on a British withdrawal from southern Iraq by late next year to help it honour its commitment to immediately withdraw the bulk of Australian military forces from Iraq should it win government.
Labor's promise is focused on the 490-strong overwatch battle group at Tallil airbase in Dhi Qar province that functions as a ready-reaction team for Iraqi security forces. The battle group would be the only significant element of Australia's 1400-strong commitment to coalition operations in Iraq to be withdrawn under Labor's promise to bring the troops home.
A Labor government would keep the 110-strong security detachment in Baghdad, and a headquarters element of 65 personnel also in Baghdad.
Some or all of the 30-strong army team training the Iraqi army could also be re-deployed, possibly to train Iraqi forces outside the country, possibly in Jordan. Labor would also keep a naval frigate in the Persian Gulf and the 330 air force personnel flying and maintaining P3C Orions and C-130 Hercules based in Gulf states.
While British commanders are debating their longer-term presence in the south, no decisions have been made on any permanent withdrawal of their 8000-strong force.
Coalition military sources say there is a strong prospect British forces will be in Iraq well into 2008 and that Whitehall will expect Australia to maintain some presence in the south.
Labor's defence spokesman Robert McClelland told The Australian yesterday he expected the overwatch battle group would have returned home by the time of next year's federal election, due by November. "It is conceivable we could still be in southern Iraq come election time but I think that is unlikely," he said.
Unlike the Sunni triangle, where security has sharply deteriorated in recent months, the south of Iraq is relatively calm. Dhi Qar and al-Muthanna provinces, where the Australians operate, are already under the control of Iraqi security forces.
Opposition Leader Kim Beazley said yesterday that coalition troops that remained in Iraq would be dragged more and more into what was effectively a civil war. "But what they have to comprehend, and do comprehend, is that more and more, this is not anything remotely related to a struggle with terror," he said.
"When you are in a hole, you don't keep digging. You work through a sensible strategy to extract yourself. The Americans and the British are now clearly working on exit strategies."
He said Australia should withdraw its soldiers and concentrate them in our region.
"Sometimes I think that the way John Howard's going, it will be the Australian forces who turn out the lights."
Privacy (http://javascript<b></b>:void(0)) Terms (http://javascript<b></b>:void(0)) © The Australian