New Iraq mission
Volume 11, No. 46, June 29, 2006
By Barry Rollings

A soldier from Combat Team Alpha works on an Aslav in southern Iraq. Photo by Rob Nyffenegger

PRIME Minister John Howard has announced a change of focus for ADF personnel in southern Iraq with a battle group to be based at Tallil Air Base near An Nasiriah.

Mr Howard told Parliament on June 22 that the ADF contingent would relocate from its base in Al Muthanna province to the coalition air base at Tallil, 80km to the south-east in the province of Dhi Qar.

The PM’s announcement followed that of Iraq’s Prime Minister, Nuri al-Maliki, of the transfer of responsibility for security in Al Muthanna from coalition forces to the Iraqi Government.

“A battle group similar in size and structure to the Al Muthanna Task Group will be based at Tallil Air Base,” Mr Howard said.
“It will comprise two combat teams: one cavalry combat team drawn from 2/14LHR, and one motorised infantry combat team, drawn from 2RAR.”

The Prime Minister said AMTG3 would continue to provide a secure environment for the Japanese Iraq Reconstruction Support Group until it completed important rehabilitation projects in Al Muthanna expected at the end of July.

He said ADF operations would initially focus on Al Muthanna province but might expand to cover Dhi Qar province later in the year.

From its base in Tallil, the ADF would contribute to coalition operations in south-east Iraq in Operational Overwatch – the coalition effort to support the handover of primary responsibility for security to Iraqi authorities.

“Our forces will have two responsibilities. The first will be to continue to engage with Iraqi security forces and local authorities, building on the relationships we have developed, and the successful ADF training and mentoring program that has been under way since April last year.”

The second responsibility would be to support Iraqi authorities in crisis situations.

“Should situations develop that are beyond the capacity of the Iraqi security forces to resolve, the Iraqi Government may call on the Coalition to provide them with back-up,” Mr Howard said.

“This could involve the ADF providing support in areas such as communications, command and control, intelligence and surveillance and, in extreme cases, through direct military action.

“The intelligence assessments available to the Government indicate that the areas in which the ADF will be operating in its new role have among the lowest threat levels in comparison to the rest of Iraq.

“That said, the ADF’s new role will be higher risk. 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.”

The force will also include the ADF training team of about 30 personnel that earlier this month began training and mentoring Iraqi instruction personnel at the Iraqi Army Basic Training Centre at Tallil.