WAR COMES TO ADELAIDE

As Adelaide residents gathered to protest the visit of U.S. Defense Secretary Rumsfeld, Foreign Minister Downer stated that Australian troops would stay in Iraq as long as necessary, while Defence Minister Hill declared a unified US/Australian policy to activities in the Middle East.

"For as long as we have a useful job to do, in particular in helping to train up the Iraqi security forces, we'll do the job," Mr Downer told reporters.

Australia, a strong ally of the United States, has about 1,300 military personnel in and around Iraq, including forces training the Iraqi military and 450 troops providing security for Japanese engineers in southern Al Muthanna province. "When the Iraqi security forces can do the job, it will be time to leave."

Rumsfeld and Deputy Secretary of State Robert Zoellick will hold annual defence and security talks with Downer and Australian Defence Minister Robert Hill in Adelaide on Friday.
About 500 anti-war protesters staged a rally on the steps of the South Australian state parliament in the city, unable to get near Rumsfeld's hotel, which has been fortified with concrete barriers and a four-metre high fence provided by Halliburton.

Defence Minister Hill said, while Australia was likely to end its programme to train Iraqi forces by mid-2006, it would probably extend the Al Muthanna security deployment if Japan decided to extend its humanitarian mission well into next year. "The popular view is they (Japan) are likely to stay for some time yet, and I think they would probably ask for Australian security to help them fulfil their mission," Hill told reporters. Hill said there was "significant demand" for Australian air transport, security detachments for diplomats in Baghdad, and an Australian navy ship in the Persian Gulf. He added they were likely to remain deployed for some time.

Mr Downer said the talks would also review counter-terrorism in Australia and Southeast Asia, unrest in southern Thailand and concerns about militant groups in the Philippines. The talks are also set to touch on developments with Australian Guantanamo Bay detainee David Hicks, whose military commission trial was due to start this week but has been further delayed by challenges to the U.S. Supreme Court. Hicks, from Adelaide, has been accused of being an al Qaeda fighter, but has pleaded not guilty to charges of aiding the enemy, attempted murder and conspiracy to commit war crimes.

Mr Hill also said today that the US and Australian views on Iraq are "identical"

Mr Downer has also dismissed a videotaped al Qaeda threat to himself and Prime Minister John Howard over Australia's Iraq policy "It's not uncommon in these things for particular references to be made to leaders" he said

Reuters, ABC, Xinhua, The Australian