Australian troop decision defended
By CNN's Grant Holloway, in Sydney
SYDNEY, Australia (CNN) -- Australia's Prime Minister John Howard has defended his government's decision to boost the nation's troop numbers in Iraq, acknowledging it is a reversal of his party's position ahead of last year's general election.
Howard announced Tuesday that about 450 Australian soldiers will be sent to Iraq to help protect Japanese engineers based in the south of the country and to assist in training Iraqi soldiers.
This is despite repeated assurances before the November 30 poll -- which Howard won handsomely -- that there would be no significant increase in Australia's commitment to Iraq.
"I'm not running away from the fact that I had previously said I did not contemplate a major increase, and that was a fair statement of the Government's state of mind at the time I made that," Howard told radio listeners Wednesday morning.
"But in these situations a government must have a capacity if circumstances alter, and it is judged to be not only in our own interests, but also in the broader interests of democracy in the Middle East, that we make those changes," he said.
The Australian troops will help replace 1,400 Dutch troops which are being pulled out of southern Iraq in March.
Neil James, Executive Director of Australian Defense Association, told CNN Wednesday that the British and Japanese request for Australian troops would have been a "last resort" option.
He said Howard would have been considering the wider picture in deciding to deploy the troops, in particular, maintaining a resolute front in the alliance between Australia, the United States and Japan.
This was especially important given the disquiet in the Asia-Pacific region over North Korea's nuclear program.
"The Japanese element of this is very important because Japan is a strong regional ally and partner of Australia and I think it is very important to the coalition effort in Iraq that Japan continues to be part of that effort, particularly as the contribution Japan is making is of a very constructive humanitarian kind," Howard said.
The Australian deployment will be for 12 months, with an additional two rotations at six-month intervals after that.
The troop decision was made after an initial request by the United Kingdom, which is responsible for the overall security in the south of Iraq including al-Muthanna.
The Japanese engineers in al-Muthanna are involved in road and school construction, but Japanese troops are barred by that nation's constitution from taking part in direct military action.
Australia, a steadfast U.S. ally, sent 2,000 troops to take part in the invasion of Iraq and still has nearly 950 troops in and around the country.
There have been no Australian forces killed so far in Iraq, though several have been injured.
Last month Australia was forced to relocate its diplomatic staff in Iraq to inside a U.S. military base in Baghdad after the embassy was attacked by a suicide bomber.
Australia's main opposition Labor Party had vowed to withdraw Australia's troops from Iraq if it won the general election held last November, but that policy has now been rescinded.
