Final Troops Of Australia Withdrawls From Iraq
CANBERRA: Australia was able to officially end its six-year military presence in Iraq three days ahead of a Friday deadline, a top officer said.
Maj. Gen. Mark Kelly, Australia’s military commander in the Middle East, said the last 12 Australian soldiers who had been embedded with U.S. military units were flown out of Baghdad on Tuesday on an Australian air force transport plane.
Australia sent 2,000 troops to support U.S. and British forces in the 2003 invasion of Iraq.
The final Australian combat units were withdrawn last year, and under an agreement negotiated with the Iraqi government, all Australian troops had to be gone by July 31.
The exception is a security detachment of about 100 soldiers with armored vehicles who guard the Australian Embassy and transport diplomats and officials around the capital. They will remain in place under separate diplomatic agreements.
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