Australia announced a modest reinforcement of its military presence in southern Iraq in early September 2006, deploying 38 additional soldiers to its battlegroup stationed at Tallil in Al-Muthanna province. Four armored vehicles will also be sent to support the expanded mission.
Defence Minister Brendan Nelson said the move reflected a changed operational mandate rather than any acknowledgment that Iraq was drifting toward civil war. The troops had previously been concentrated in Samawa, guarding Japanese military engineers until Japan withdrew its contingent in June 2006.
With the Japanese departure, Prime Minister John Howard chose to redeploy Australian forces to Tallil in what he described as a more demanding role, rejecting calls from opposition parties to bring the soldiers home. Current duties include conducting patrols, launching border surveillance operations, and coordinating with Iraqi security forces.
Australia committed 2,000 troops to the 2003 US-led invasion that removed Saddam Hussein and still maintains roughly 900 personnel in the country. Nelson said the troop increase followed a month of overwatch operations and came as a strong recommendation from the chief of defence. He added that Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki expressed personal gratitude for Australia's continued presence.
Historical summary. TurkishPress restated this wire report, first published in September 2006, in its own words.