Australian Troops coming home

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Australian Prime Minister, Kevin Rudd, is standing by his election promise of pulling Australia out of the war in Iraq today, as the Overwatch Battle Group (OBG-W) and Australian Army Training Team (AATT-I) formally ceased operations in Camp Terendak, Talil (300km south of Baghdad).

The OBG-W and AATT-I were involved in training and mentoring the new Iraqi army with counter-insurgency tactics, techniques and procedures as well as provided logistics management and combat service support.

Minister of Defense, Joel Fitzgibbon said Australian involvement in the region gave the fledgling Iraqi Army the space and time to train, grow and "consolidate into a capable force that has proven itself time and again in recent months."

"Australian military commitment has also provided a significant enhancement to the lives of the local population through the provision of about $9 million in funding for civil infrastructure projects such as redevelopment of schools, sanitation programs and enhancement of health facilities." Mr Ftizgibbon said.

With the withdrawal of the Australian troops from the region, American forces will now be responsible for regional overwatch and have spent the past month getting to know the key personalities and their Iraqi Security Force partners.

Feedback from our Allies in Iraq have also been positive.

British Defence Secretary, Des Browne, said Britain was grateful to the people of Australia and to the troops for their "magnificent" contribution to Iraq and the US Ambassador to Australia, Robert McCallum, said "Washington harboured no hard feelings over the Labor government's decision to pull Australian combat troops out of Iraq".

No Australian has died in the Iraq war and Prime Minster Rudd has committed to keeping 1000 Australian soldiers in Afghanistan.