Good morning, and welcome to our regular update on operations in the Middle East.
Since our last media brief our folks have continued to undertake their duties without any significant occurrences. I am happy to report that all our people are safe and accounted for.

As you are aware the Minister departed yesterday with the CDF and the Secretary for Defence to visit our troops deployed throughout the region. Their schedule will see them taken to variety of locations within the Middle East where they will be able learn first hand of the many individual experiences to come out of Operations Bastille and Falconer. (I understand that the Visiting Party will not be staying to celebrate Saddam Husseins birthday on the 28 Apr 03 -1937)

You may like to note that the final phase of Operation Baghdad Assist concluded since the last briefing with the final load of aid being handed over at Tallil for onforwarding to Nasiriyah General Hospital and Nasiriyah Women and Children’s Hospital.

Anyway on to todays brief.

As you will have observed, the conventional military threat in Iraq has diminished significantly. Despite this however our people in the air, across the sea and on the ground still remain vigilant, as there are still small pockets resistance.

HMAS ANZAC transited to the Northern Arabian Gulf where on the 19 April it took over KAA guardship duties from HMAS Kanimbla. Since then the Kanimbla has focused on the conduct of RHIB patrols. HMAS ANZAC is due to leave the MEAO and return to Australia in the near future.

Our clearance diving team has also been busy supporting United Kingdom forces, in clearance of the Kwora Az Zubayr waterway.

As was briefed by Brigadier Mcnarn last week our SAS have secured the 2^nd largest airbase in Iraq, Al Asad - located north west of Badgdad. A subsequent search was conducted with the assistance of the Commandos and the Incident Response Regiment. This search revealed a supply of military hardware and munitions including missiles, over 50 fighter jets and NBC related facilities and equipment. The SAS have since moved on to other tasks such as the route surveillance and interdiction while the Commandos and IRR remain in location conducting equipment maintenance.

And now to air operations . . .
As we have indicated in previous briefs, there has been a marked reduction in the need for our FA-18s to use their weapons and none have been fired off since the last brief before Easter. Much of their flying time has been redirected to training rather than combat missions. Not surprisingly, our Hercules and their crew are working as hard as ever as new airfields are geared up for C130 operations. The C130 will continue to be a vital part of the Australian Contingent as we move into the transition and rebuilding phase of this operation.

BRIGADIER MIKE HANNAN: I'd now be happy to take any questions.

OFFICIAL: Any questions, ladies and gentlemen?

QUESTION: Mark Phillips from News Limited. I'd just like to ask a question not related to the Middle East. Just related to the suspected illegal immigrants that could be coming to Australia from Indonesia. Could you just outline for us what sort of preparations or - Operation Relics is still operating, one assumes - so just what interception or preparations the Navy would have in that?

BRIGADIER MIKE HANNAN: Well, I shan't be talking about current operations and how we're conducting those. And, as you're aware, that particular operation is an operation in which Defence supports other areas of government. And direct comment on that would best come from Coastwatch.

QUESTION: Brigadier, Kieran Gilbert from Sky News. You said the last load as part of Baghdad Assist has been delivered.

BRIGADIER MIKE HANNAN: Yes.

QUESTION: Do we know when the next operation, in terms of aid, will begin for the C-130s?

BRIGADIER MIKE HANNAN: Kieran, it's uncertain whether that will be necessary. There is considerable aid flowing into the country now, particularly by road from Jordan and from Kuwait. And those vehicle convoys started arriving over the last few days into Baghdad and to the other major cities, particularly Basra in the north. And we expect that the airlifting, being a relatively inefficient and expensive way to move aid, will be not required in the future.

There might be some need to deal with some smaller and more remote areas with some emergency and very quick response, but we're watching that closely.

QUESTION: Brigadier, John Kerrin from The Australian. I was just wondering if you could provide any more detail on the visit by the Minister and the Chief in terms of where they're going and who they're going to be talking to? Our troops and so on.

And the C-130s, just if there's any more detail on the sorts of things they're moving in and out of the theatre at the moment?

BRIGADIER MIKE HANNAN: Just to deal quickly with the C-130s, John. I don't have any specific information on that, but I will get some kind of an idea of the cargo loads that they're shifting at the moment, where there's been a substantial shift from the operational equipment to other types of stores.

As for the Minister's visit, the Minister will be visiting as many of the detachments as possible. And he'll certainly be visiting the P3s, C130s, and the F/A-18s in the air. He will be visiting the troops on the ground in Iraq, and he'll be accompanied on that part of the visit by some Australian journalists who remain in the Middle East. And he'll be spending Anzac Day with the Navy. And hopefully we'll have some good vision of that out for you on Anzac Day.

QUESTION: Don Woolford from AAP, Brigadier. I was wondering will there be a precise moment where legally the Coalition forces will cease to be an invading force and become an occupying force? And does that change the legal basis which they're there and change the rules of engagement and so on?

BRIGADIER MIKE HANNAN: Theoretically yes there should be a proclamation at some stage from the Coalition Commander which would identify the fact that the force - that combat operations had ceased and that the force was adopting the stance of an occupying power.

In relation to the responsibilities of occupying powers, they're actually quite extensive and I won't try and list them off this morning. But they're covered off under two principal sources. One is the Hague Regulations of 1907, and they were supplemented by the Fourth Geneva Convention of 1949.

Now, under the provisions of those documents, there's extensive responsibilities that accrue to the occupying power, and they include such matters as ensuring the freedom and safety of the population and that they're free from persecution and ensuring that the legal system is functioning and so on.

Now, this means a fundamental shift in the type of operations undertaken, obviously by the forces on the ground.

As for when that will happen, that's a matter of judgment. As I said before, there are still substantial skirmishes taking place, particularly with the 4th Infantry Division in the north. And I would think that they would want to make sure that there was an opportunity to make a clean break from combat operations before they did that.

Now, the rules of engagement that would apply in that phase of the operation would depend very much on the circumstance on the ground. They will be geared to, at all times, protection of the force and making sure that the force has a right to protect itself.

But the degree of restraint placed on the troops will depend entirely on the threat.

OFFICIAL: We'll take one more question.

QUESTION: Brigadier, I was just wondering if there was anything further on a formal declaration of victory? Whether that will happen this week? And also just whether our - whether there's any further word on engineers or any other sort of reconstruction phase type people going in at this stage?

BRIGADIER MIKE HANNAN: Well, as I said in relation to the other question that we're expecting there to be some proclamation at some stage. This is very much a matter that's a matter for the governments of the Coalition countries and their commanders and the commander's advice. And we expect that to take place in the immediate future.

But, as I said, that'd be a matter of judgment about when the circumstances are right to transit from combat operations to those operations associated with being an occupying power.

In relation to - your second question was, I'm sorry?

QUESTION: Whether we - just who else we're sending? Whether it's engineers?

BRIGADIER MIKE HANNAN: Oh, sorry, yes.

QUESTION: There's been some speculation about who else will be going?

BRIGADIER MIKE HANNAN: At this stage the government has committed the Air Force Air Traffic Control Detachment, that will assist to get Baghdad International up and running as quickly as possible. And, of course, specialists in chemical and biological weapons, who will assist in the clearance of the country from that threat.

Other parts of the force are remaining behind in country, as you know, including the commandoes who will undertake a range of important protection duties. The C-130's who will continue doing their good work, and, of course, part of our Naval contingent will remain with Kanimbla for some time. And then followed on by HMAS Sydney - no, sorry HMAS - yes, HMAS Sydney.

In relation to any further commitment, the government is watching the events, watching the situation on the ground. They will make a decision about what's an appropriate level of response.

But you should note that the Prime Minister has been fairly clear that Australia won't be contributing a substantial peacekeeping force. That our contribution would be primarily geared towards humanitarian assistance and assistance in rebuilding the country. And that we would see ourselves as a nation sending specialists, particularly from areas other than Defence, to assist with that task. With the Defence contribution being limited also to some specialist areas.

OFFICIAL: Thanks very much, ladies and gentlemen.