Australia's Position.

With President Bush in Sydney for the annual APEC summit, Australian PM John Howard on Sept. 5 vowed to keep his country's forces in Iraq as long as necessary. Bush's presence there intensified debate about Australia's presence in Iraq and its alliance with the US. With an election only months away, Labour Party leader Kevin Rudd has put opposition to the Iraq war at the heart of his campaign to end Howard's 11-year premiership.

After meeting with Bush, Rudd on Sept. 6 was quoted as reiterating there will be a phased withdrawal of the 1,600 Australian troops after he comes to power. Under Howard, Australia has been one of Bush's most reliable allies, sending troops to Iraq and Afghanistan and backing the US position on climate change.

Underscoring the depth of the alliance, Bush and Howard on Sept. 5 signed a defence co-operation treaty aimed at increasing exchanges of military technology. Howard said he made it clear to Bush that Australian forces would remain at their current level in Iraq as long as they were needed, adding: "We believe that progress is being made in Iraq, difficult though it is. And we do not believe this is the time to be setting any proposals for a scaling down of Australian forces". Bush said his personal friendship with the PM had enhanced bilateral relations and noted that Howard had come from behind in the polls to win previous elections. Bush said: "I wouldn't count the man out". But he insisted the alliance would remain strong regardless of who won the election, adding: "Our relationship is bigger than any individual. It's a relationship based on values...". Rudd denied that relations with Washington would suffer if he became PM, saying: "I am a lifelong supporter of the alliance. I look forward to working with George Bush". But Rudd said he was against Australia's "automatic compliance" with US foreign policy.