Fed: Nelson won't offer advice to US on Iraq troops policy

AAP General News (Australia)
12-20-2006
Fed: Nelson won't offer advice to US on Iraq troops policy

CANBERRA, Dec 20 AAP - Defence Minister Brendan Nelson today declined to say whether
an increase in United States troop numbers in Baghdad would work in tackling sectarian
violence.

Dr Nelson, in the United Kingdom for talks following the Australia-US ministerial meeting
in Washington, said it was up to the US to decide whether the tactic would be successful.

"It is entirely a case for the military command of the United States to make a judgment
and give advice to its political leadership as to whether a surge of troops is likely
to work," he told ABC radio.

Asked if he believed it would work, Dr Nelson replied: "I am certainly not going to
give gratuitous advice to the Americans through the media.

"We have had quite intensive dialogue. We have had discussions with the American secretary
of state and also assistant secretary for defence. We discussed a whole range of options
in relation to Iraq."

Dr Nelson said Baghdad was quite different to the rest of Iraq.

"The Americans have primary responsibility for it and I don't think it is our place
to provide them with gratuitous advice as to whether surging their numbers in Baghdad
is or is not the right thing to do," he said.

Dr Nelson also held talks with UK Defence Minister Des Browne and foreign secretary
Margaret Beckett on Iraq.

Mrs Beckett earlier raised the prospect of Britain handing security responsibility
for some southern Iraq provinces back to Iraqi authorities by mid-2007, potentially allowing
Britain and Australia to withdraw some troops.

Dr Nelson said Australia worked closely with British forces in that area southern and
Australian troops remained under British tactical command.

He rejected a suggestion that Australia might need to contribute more troops above
the 500 now in southern Iraq.

"We have made it very clear that we will continue with out battlegroup operations,
working from Talil for the foreseeable future," he said.

"But the tasks we are doing today are different from what we were doing six months
ago which are different from what we were doing 18 months ago.

"You would expect that over the course of the next year our role is likely to change
again. And if it does change, it will be to further increase the amount of training we
are already doing with Iraqi security forces."

AAP mb/sb/maur/de

KEYWORD: IRAQ AUST

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