Shape up or we're shipping out

August 11, 2007 01:27pm

PRIME Minister John Howard has warned the Iraqi Government that unless it makes faster progress towards resolving the country's political differences it faces the prospect of Australian and other Western troops withdrawing.

In a letter to his Iraqi counterpart Nouri al-Maliki, Mr Howard urged the Iraqi Government to speed the sharing of oil wealth among all sections of the Iraqi community, including the minority Sunni population, The Weekend Australian newspaper reported.

Mr Howard warned that if the Iraqis failed to make progress, the public support for Australia's military deployment to Iraq may not be sustainable.

The clear implication in Mr Howard's letter, which was sent last week, was that US public support would also falter without signs of substantial political progress in Iraq, the paper said.

Political pressure

It said the letter displayed Mr Howard's deep and growing frustration with the Maliki Government, which has suspended sittings of the Iraqi parliament for the whole of this month.

With the federal election looming, it showed Mr Howard was under real political pressure on Iraq for the first time, the paper said.

In the letter, Mr Howard told Mr Maliki that "prompt, concrete measures are needed not only to secure Iraq's future, but also to ensure regional stability and continued constructive international engagement''.

Mr Howard demanded that the Iraqi Government used the opportunity provided by the US troop surge to take specific and speedy action.

Clear threat

In his letter, Mr Howard reaffirmed his government's stand on the military deployment to Iraq, saying: "Our military commitment (is based) not on a timetable but on security conditions and capabilities of the Iraqi security forces.''

Mr Howard expressed sympathy and understanding for the enormity of the task Mr Maliki faces.

But the paper said the implied threat was clear: Unless the Iraqi Government moved to political reconciliation soon, it would be impossible for Western leaders to hold sufficient support at home to allow them to continue their military and other commitments to Iraq.

No policty shift, says Howard

Prime Minister John Howard today said his letter did not signal a policy shift on Australia's commitment to the war.

Mr Howard said he sent the letter a week ago and he was yet to receive a response, but he said it set out in plain English a requirement that more progress be made to stabilise the country and also distribute wealth generated from oil reserves.

"I was speaking plainly as a friend saying more progress should be made,'' Mr Howard told reporters in Sydney today.

"I'm not threatening a withdrawal, I'm simply saying that Iraq has to make more progress in internal reconciliation.

"The Americans in particular are making an enormous sacrifice, they are losing troops every day.

"I am insisting that it is his responsibility to make progress and we are not signalling any change in policy if that's what you're getting at,'' he said.

News Limited

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