By Maria Hawthorne | December 22, 2007
PRIME Minister Kevin Rudd has made a surprise Christmas visit to Australia's remaining combat troops in Iraq - promising them they will be home well before next year's festive season.
In a top-secret lightning trip, the new Prime Minister also visited his Iraqi counterpart Nouri al-Maliki, US coalition commander David Petraeus and US ambassador Ryan Crocker to explain his government's plan to end its combat deployment once the current rotation ends in June.
About 1000 Australian troops will remain in Baghdad and in the Gulf to protect dignitaries and oil rigs, although a decision on the future of the Baghdad-based contingent will be made later this year.
But the 550 soldiers in the Overwatch Battle Group based at Tallil can expect to be home by August, once their deployment ends and the task of packing up their camp is finished.
Mr Rudd, who flew to Tallil with defence force chief Angus Houston and Defence Minister Joel Fitzgibbon, told the soldiers he would honour his election promise to bring them home, but not before their job was done.
"You here, as part of this battle group, will be the last battle group we deploy," Mr Rudd said.
"I'm here to say to you that you will complete your task and you will be returning home to Australia at the completion of this rotation in June."
Mr Rudd said all those who had served in Iraq had done a fantastic job and he urged them to complete their task with the professionalism and the tradition of the ADF.
The withdrawal would begin on June 1, but the logistics of closing down the camp would take one or two months, he said.
He acknowledged that some soldiers would be disappointed, particularly those who started their tour only two or four weeks ago, but said he was keeping a promise to voters.
"This rotation will conclude, as I said prior to the election to the President of the United States, to the Vice-President of the United States, that's what I said to the Australian people, that's what I'm committed to do and that's what I'm gunna do," Mr Rudd said.
His visit was such a tightly held secret that even the soldiers did not know who was arriving, with one joking that he had been hoping for Kylie Minogue.
But the mostly Queensland contingent gave the Prime Minister a warm reception on a chilly Iraq morning, with the ancient Sumerian pyramid, the Ziggurat of Ur, faintly visible in the distance through the haze.
"I'm from Queensland too so let's hear it for Queensland," Mr Rudd urged to a resounding cheer from the assembled soldiers, prompting Defence Minister Joel Fitzgibbon to interject "Go the Blues".
The flak-jacket-wearing PPrime Minister said the troops were true representatives of the Anzac spirit, forged 90 years ago during the charge of Beersheeba - "desert plains in ancient Palestine" - as they carried out their tasks in the desert plains of ancient Mesopotamia.
"Here, today, and here in this country Iraq, this war-torn country, you have been doing great and good work," Mr Rudd said.
"I can say to you as Prime Minister and as the leader of the Government that we, the Australian nation, thank you - thank you for the professionalism and the distinction with which you have discharged your duties.
"Our simple purpose in coming here in the lead-up to Christmas is one thing - and that is to thank you one and all for your service."
Mr Rudd, whose father and brother both served in the defence forces, sympathised with the troops for being separated from family and friends at Christmas, saying he knew how hard it could be.
"Our hope, our prayer, and our ambition as government of the country is for each and every one of you to be delivered safe and sound to your families at the end of this mission, and that is my responsibility as well," he said.
He took questions from assembled soldiers, promising to look into some missing winter clothing yet to arrive despite near freezing night-time temperatures, clarifying how soon after June 1 they could expect to be home and outlining what would happen to their training program for Iraqi security forces once they left.
The Australians have trained about 25,000 Iraqis to train local police and soldiers over the past four years, and hope to take the number to 30,000 before they leave.
Mr Rudd said the embedded troops would take over the training program after June, while Australia would look at another training program, perhaps in Australia or in a third country like Jordan, from the end of the year.
He defended Labor's past record on defence funding in office against accusations it had stripped the military budget, and promised to maintain the Howard government's commitment to a three per cent annual increase in real funding.
But it was a cheeky question from a Queenslander that brought the house down.
"What's going on with Ipswich Rd?" a Brisbanite asked.
"Anyone who accuses Queenslanders of being parochial has just got it wrong," Mr Rudd replied, before assuring him that the state and federal governments had announced plans for a major upgrade of the busy thoroughfare three weeks ago.
