Area to be re-named Al Murthanna. Here is the new govenor:
Posted on 06/18/2006 9:59:25 PM PDT by naturalman1975
PRIME Minister John Howard today foreshadowed a possible security role for Australian troops in supporting Iraq forces around the city of Nasiriyah.
Mr Howard said any operations in Iraq were dangerous and great efforts would be made to minimise the risks in any future role.
The move depends on a Japanese government decision to withdraw its 600-member engineering task group from Al Muthanna province and Mr Howard said there was speculation an announcement was imminent.
Also tipped is an announcement of the transfer of security responsibilities for some southern Iraq provinces from coalition forces to the new Iraqi military.
Mr Howard said in that event Australia's 460-member task group, now based in Al Muthanna province guarding the Japanese force and training the Iraqi military, would remain in Iraq but with a somewhat different role.
That would involve a continuation of training and adoption of a new task, in what's called Operation Overwatch, backing the Iraq security forces.
"We would continue to see a role out there for some of our forces in southern Iraq," Mr Howard said.
"The operations will be likely to be based in and around Tallil. The primary purpose would be to provide a security reinforcement or backup for the Iraqi security forces and also an ongoing training role.
"I can only say that any operation in Iraq is dangerous and in agreeing to any new arrangements we will go to great lengths to satisfy ourselves that danger, consistent with the discharge of the responsibility our forces have, will be kept to an absolute minimum."
Tallil is a key coalition air base a short distance outside the city of Nasiriyah, capital of Dhi Qar province.
This is 100km southeast of Australia's base of operation at Camp Smitty outside the Al Muthanna province capital Samawah.
Australia has maintained a small logistics base at Tallil to aid movement of personnel and supplies to Smitty.
The Tallil base includes the ancient city of Ur – Iraq's most important archaeological site – and the birthplace of the prophet Abraham.
Nasiriyah has about 530,000 inhabitants, who are mainly Shi'ite Muslims.
The entire south of Iraq is far more peaceful than the central Sunni-dominated region where the insurgency is at its strongest.
However, Nasiriyah was the scene of savage fighting in the initial invasion of Iraq in March 2003 and there were clashes during the Mahdi uprising in April 2004.
Mr Howard said any deployment in Iraq was dangerous.
"Some areas are arguably more dangerous than others. The deployments in southern Iraq historically have been less dangerous than in other parts of Iraq, but that could always change if circumstances were to change," he said.
Area to be re-named Al Murthanna. Here is the new govenor:
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