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Australia To Take Enhanced Role In Iraq

June 22, 2006 -- Australian Prime Minister John Howard says the country's forces in Iraq will be shifting to a more dangerous role.

Howard says the new functions will include training Iraqi forces, providing them with intelligence, and backing them up "in extreme cases through direct military action."

"[The Australian Defense Force's] new role will be higher risk," Howard said. "The government is keenly aware of the risks associated with this new mission, and will ensure that the ADF has the resources it needs to carry out its tasks as safely and effectively as possible."

Australia has some 900 troops in Iraq but the majority of them have been in noncombat roles.

Meanwhile, the Australian Defense Force (ADF) on June 21 confirmed that its troops mistakenly opened fire on the bodyguards of Iraq's trade minister in Baghdad, killing one of them and wounding three.

In a statement, the ADF said that it "deeply regrets" the death and injuries. The ADF says it is conducting an investigation into the shooting.

(AP, AFP, Reuters)

Copyright (c) 2006. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036. www.rferl.org