NationMaster - Encyclopedia: Australian contribution to the 2003 invasion of Iraq

The Australian Government was a strong and uncritical supporter of United States policy during the Iraq disarmament crisis and one of only four nations to commit combat forces to the 2003 invasion of Iraq in any substantial numbers, under the operational codename Operation Falconer. Image File history File linksMetadata SASR_Iraq. ... Image File history File linksMetadata SASR_Iraq. ... Judicial High Court Lower Courts Constitution State and territory governments Executive Governors and Administrators Premiers and Chief Ministers Legislative Parliaments and Assemblies State electoral systems ACT - NSW - NT - Qld. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Combate Naval de Iquique - oil on canvas painting by Thomas Somerscales, XIX century Combat, or fighting, is purposeful violent conflict between one or more persons or organizations, often intended to establish dominance over the opposition. ... Combatants Coalition Forces: United States United Kingdom South Korea Australia Poland Romania others. ...

It is now known that part of the Australian contingent of the Coalition were among the first forces to enter Iraq after the official "execute" order.^[1]

Australian forces committed to the conflict included three Royal Australian Navy ships, 500 special forces troops, P-3 Orion patrol and C-130 Hercules transport aircraft, and RAAF 75 Squadron equipped with 14 F/A-18 Hornet fighters. The Royal Australian Navy (RAN) is the naval branch of the Australian Defence Force. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... The Lockheed P-3 Orion is a maritime patrol aircraft of the United States military used primarily for maritime patrol, reconnaissance, and anti-submarine warfare. ... The Lockheed C-130 Hercules is a four-engine turboprop cargo aircraft and the main tactical airlifter for many military forces worldwide. ... A cargo aircraft is an airplane primarily designed and used for the carriage of goods, rather than passengers. ... The Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) is the air force branch of the Australian Defence Force. ... Two F/A-18 Hornets and ground crew from No. ... An F/A-18 taking off from USS Kitty Hawk The Boeing (formerly McDonnell Douglas) F/A-18 Hornet is a modern all-weather carrier-capable strike fighter jet, designed to attack both ground and aerial targets. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ...

Combat forces committed to Operation Falconer for the 2003 Invasion were withdrawn during 2003. John Howard has yet to announce a withdrawal of Australian troops who are participating in the follow on mission to the invasion (known as Operation Catalyst), and has declined to give a deadline, stating that Australian troops will remain for as long as they are required. John Winston Howard (born 26 July 1939), Australian politician, is the Prime Minister of Australia. ...

Forces committed

Image File history File linksMetadata 75_Sqn. ... Image File history File linksMetadata 75_Sqn. ... For the bird, see Frigatebird. ... The third and present HMAS Anzac (FFH 150) is the lead ship of the Anzac class frigates, laid down by Tenix Defence Systems at Williamstown in Victoria on 5 November 1993, launched on 16 September 1994 and commissioned on 13 May 1996. ... HMAS Darwin operating in support of Operation Enduring Freedom HMAS Darwin (04), named for the capital city of the Northern Territory, is an Adelaide class guided missile armed frigate laid down by Todd Shipyards at Seattle in Washington on 2 July 1981, launched on 26 March 1982 and commissioned on... The Sikorsky H-60/S-70 Black Hawk is a medium-lift military helicopter family used by a multitude of countries and corpoations in a multitude of variants. ... 816 Squadrons crest 816 Squadron is a Royal Australian Navy Fleet Air Arm squadron. ... HMAS Kanimbla (L 51) was acquired as a training and helicopter support ship, originally built as the Newport class tank landing ship (LST) USS Saginaw for the U.S. Navy. ... In military terminology, the Embarked Military Force is the total force that is carried by an amphibious assault ship, including troops, vehicles and various other equipment. ... The Australian Army is Australias military land force. ... American troops man an anti-aircraft gun near the Algerian coastline in 1943 Anti-aircraft, or air defense, is any method of combating military aircraft from the ground. ... The Westland Sea King is a license-built version of the Sikorsky helicopter of the same name, built by Westland Helicopters. ... 817 Squadrons crest 817 Squadron is a Royal Australian Navy Fleet Air Arm squadron. ... US Soldiers removing landmines. ... The 16th Air Defence Regiment, Royal Australian Artillery is an Australian Army regiment. ... For other nations commando frogmen, and information about frogmen in general, see Frogman. ... Seaport, a painting by Claude Lorrain, 1638 The Port of Wellington at night. ... Polish wz. ... Two F/A-18 Hornets and ground crew from No. ... An F/A-18 taking off from USS Kitty Hawk The Boeing (formerly McDonnell Douglas) F/A-18 Hornet is a modern all-weather carrier-capable strike fighter jet, designed to attack both ground and aerial targets. ... The Lockheed C-130 Hercules is a four-engine turboprop cargo aircraft and the main tactical airlifter for many military forces worldwide. ... No. ... The Lockheed P-3 Orion is a maritime patrol aircraft of the United States military used primarily for maritime patrol, reconnaissance, and anti-submarine warfare. ... The Special Air Service Regiment (SASR) is a Special Forces regiment modelled on the original British SAS and also drawing on the traditions of the Australian World War II Z Special Force commando unit, as well as the Independent Companies which were active in the South Pacific during the same... The 4th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment or 4 RAR (Cdo), is one of the battalions of the Royal Australian Regiment and is one of three combat capable groups within the Australian Special Operations Command (the other two being the SASR and 1st Commando Regiment). ... The Incident Response Regiment (IRR) forms part of Special Operations Command (Australia). ... A S-70 Blackhawk and a CH-47 Chinook from the 5th Aviation Regiment operating from a United States Navy ship during an exercise in 2005 The Australian 5th Aviation Regiment is an Australian Army aviation unit. ... The Boeing CH-47 Chinook is a versatile, twin-engine, tandem rotor heavy-lift helicopter. ...

Military significance of Australian forces

In Australia there was little public discussion about the scale or military impact of the Australian commitment. Instead, public debate centred on the more fundamental question of whether forces should be sent at all, and if so, whether they should take part without explicit United Nations backing. The foundation of the U.N. The United Nations (UN) is an international organization whose stated aims are to facilitate co-operation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress and human rights issues. ...

Australians generally regard their soldiers, sailors and airmen as a highly trained elite group, worthy of comparison with any in the world. Their ability to affect the course of the war in a significant way is limited by the different and relatively restrictive rules of engagement that the Australian Government has mandated and severely limited by their numbers. Given those numbers, however, they are regarded by military experts as highly effective.

Operations by Australian Forces

In keeping with its relatively small size, the Australian force only made a limited contribution to Coalition operations during the invasion of Iraq. The Australian contribution was also geographically dispersed, with the Australian forces forming part of larger US and British units rather than a concentrated Australian unit. No Australian personnel were killed, wounded or taken prisoner during the war. Combatants Coalition Forces: United States United Kingdom South Korea Australia Poland Romania others. ...

Maritime operations

Prior to the outbreak of war the Australian naval force in the Persian Gulf continued to enforce the sanctions against Iraq. These operations were conducted by boarding parties from the RAN warships and the AP-3 Orion patrol aircraft.^[2] Image File history File linksMetadata Anzac_Iraq. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Anzac_Iraq. ... Map of the Persian Gulf. ... The term Ran can refer to: In film and television: Ran (film), a 1985 film directed by the master Japanese director, Akira Kurosawa Tsukikage Ran, an anime, or its title character Rachel Moore, also called Ran Mori, a fictional character in the manga Case Closed (known as Detective Conan in...

Upon the outbreak of war the RAN's focus shifted to supporting the coalition land forces and clearing the approaches to Iraqi ports. HMAS Anzac provided gunfire support to Royal Marines during fighting on the Al-Faw Peninsula and the Clearance Diving Team took part in clearing the approaches to Umm Qasr. Boarding operations continued during the war, and on 20 March boarding parties from the HMAS Kanimbla seized an Iraqi ship carrying 86 naval mines.^[3] Army LCM-8 Landing Craft were used as forward deployment and support platforms for the Navy boarding parties and were the first regular Maritime assets to the port of Umm Qasr, moving as far north as Basara on the inland waterways collecting intelligence for allied forces. LCM-8 Assets were utilised by British and American forces for various cargo transportation duties during the course of the war. The third and present HMAS Anzac (FFH 150) is the lead ship of the Anzac class frigates, laid down by Tenix Defence Systems at Williamstown in Victoria on 5 November 1993, launched on 16 September 1994 and commissioned on 13 May 1996. ... The Royal Marines (RM), are the Royal Navys light infantry. ... Al-Faw peninsula, Iraq This article is about the Iraqi peninsula. ... Cranes at Umm Qasr await cargo. ... HMAS Kanimbla (L 51) was acquired as a training and helicopter support ship, originally built as the Newport class tank landing ship (LST) USS Saginaw for the U.S. Navy. ... Polish wz. ...

Special forces operations

The primary role of the Special Forces Task Group was to secure an area of western Iraq from which it was feared that SCUD missiles could be launched. The SAS successfully entered Iraq by vehicle and United States helicopters and secured their area of responsibility after a week of fighting. Following this the SAS patrolled the highways in the area in order to block the escape of members of the Iraqi government and to prevent foreign fighters from entering the country.^[4] Polish missile wz. ...

On 11 April the SAS Squadron was concentrated to capture the Al Asad air base. While this base proved to be almost undefended, the Australian troops captured over 50 MiG jets and more than 7.9 million kilograms of explosives. After securing the air base the SAS were reinforced by 4 RAR and the IRR elements. The Special Forces Task Group remained at Al Asad until the end of the war, when most of the SAS Squadron and IRR Troop returned home and the 4 RAR platoon (reinforced by elements of the SAS) was deployed to Baghdad to protect Australian diplomats.^[5] Abandoned Iraqi FT-7A in front of Al Asad ATC Tower Map showing Haditha in relation to Al Asad Airbase, the Navea Training center, Hit and Ramadi Al Asad is the largest US military base in the largely Sunni western Iraq (Al Anbar Province). ... Baghdad (Arabic ) is the capital of Iraq and of Baghdad Governorate. ... The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade is an Australian government department concerned with the relations between Australia and other nations, both in political and economic terms. ...

Air operations

No. 75 Squadron's initial role was to escort high-value Coalition aircraft such as tankers and AWACS aircraft. As it became clear that the Iraqi Air Force posed no threat, the role of No. 75 Squadron shifted to providing close air support to Coalition ground forces and air interdiction against Iraqi forces. These missions were initially flown in support of the US Army but the Squadron later switched to supporting the US Marines. As the Iraqi resistance crumbled the F/A-18s were increasingly tasked to provide 'shows of force' to encourage Iraqi forces to surrender. During the war No. 75 Squadron flew a total of 350 sorties and dropped 122 laser guided bombs.^[6] Two F/A-18 Hornets and ground crew from No. ... US Air Force E-3 Sentry AWACS aircraft is prepared for flight in November 1997 Cockpit of RAF E-3 Sentry undergoing upgrades Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS) is a radar-based electronic system designed to carry out airborne surveillance, and C3 (command, control and communications) functions for both... Close air support (often abbreviated CAS) is the use of military aircraft in a ground attack role against targets in close proximity to friendly troops, in support of ground combat operations. ... Air interdiction is the use of aircraft to attack tactical ground targets that are not in close proximity to friendly ground forces. ... The United States Army is the largest branch of the United States armed forces and has primary responsibility for land-based military operations. ... The United States Marine Corps (USMC) is a branch of the U.S. military responsible for providing power projection from the sea,[1] utilizing the mobility of the U.S. Navy to rapidly deliver combined-arms task forces to global crises. ... A laser-guided bomb (LGB) is a free-fall bomb, usually dropped from an aircraft, that is guided to its target by a laser designator The laser is directed at the target, illuminating it. ...

Reports indicate that the No. 75 Squadron's activities were somewhat restricted in their military role compared to similarly-equipped US forces. Australian aircraft were not permitted to operate in the "Baghdad SuperMEZ" (Missile Exclusion Zone) because of fears that the Hornet's electronic warfare systems were inadequate, though the report indicates that they were identical to American Hornets operating in this area. Furthermore, they were not permitted to conduct close air support missions in urban areas because of fears of collateral damage. These restrictions were in line with the rules of engagement set by the Australian Government, which were reportedly more restrictive than the rules governing the conduct of British and American forces. Collateral damage is a U.S. Military term for unintended or incidental damage during a military operation. ... This article describes the military term of the rules of engagement. ...

The Australian C-130 transports and CH-47 helicopters provided airlift to Coalition forces, including the Australian Special Forces Task Group.^[7]

Operations after the war

Following the capture of Baghdad Australian C-130 aircraft flew humanitarian supplies into the city. Almost all the forces deployed for the war returned to Australia shortly after the end of major fighting.^[8] Image File history File links Newcastle_Nimitz. ... Image File history File links Newcastle_Nimitz. ... HMAS Newcastle (left) HMAS Newcastle (06), named for the city of Newcastle, New South Wales, the largest provincial city in Australia, is an Adelaide (Oliver Hazard Perry) class guided missile armed frigate laid down by AMECON at Williamstown in Victoria, launched on 21 February 1992 and commissioned on 11 December... USS Nimitz (CVN-68) is a supercarrier in the United States Navy, the lead ship of its class. ... Image File history File linksMetadata AMTG.jpg Summary Sourced from: http://www. ... Image File history File linksMetadata AMTG.jpg Summary Sourced from: http://www. ... Image File history File links Aust_C130_(DF-SD-06-02850). ... Image File history File links Aust_C130_(DF-SD-06-02850). ... Image File history File linksMetadata Lockwood_farewell. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Lockwood_farewell. ... Baghdad (Arabic ) is the capital of Iraq and of Baghdad Governorate. ...

Unlike the three other countries which contributed combat forces to the war, Australia did not immediately contribute military forces to the post-war occupation of Iraq. Following the end of the war the Australian force in Iraq was limited to specialists attached to the Coalition headquarters in Baghdad and the search for Iraq's suspected weapons of mass destruction, a frigate in the Persian Gulf, a party of air traffic controllers at Baghdad International Airport, two C-130 Hercules transport aircraft, two AP-3C Orion aircraft and small numbers of infantry and Airfield Defence Guards protecting the Australian military units and diplomats based in Baghdad.^[9] This force was later expanded to include an Army training detachment and a small medical detachment attached to a US Air Force hospital. The Royal Australian Navy has also assumed command of coalition forces in the Persian Gulf on two occasions; Combined Task Force 58 in 2005^[10] and Combined Task Force 158 in 2006.^[11] This article deals with the post-invasion period in Iraq and its occupation. ... HMAS Darwin in the Persian Gulf in March 2005. ... Inside view of the terminal, showing an abandoned FIDS in front of empty check-in desks and passport control. ... The Lockheed C-130 Hercules is a four-engine turboprop cargo aircraft and the main tactical airlifter for many military forces worldwide. ... The Lockheed P-3 Orion is a maritime patrol aircraft of the United States military used primarily for maritime patrol, reconnaissance, and anti-submarine warfare. ... The Airfield Defence Guards (ADG) are dedicated military-specific units in the Royal Australian Air Force. ... Baghdad (Arabic ) is the capital of Iraq and of Baghdad Governorate. ...

During 2003 and 2004 the Australian Government is reported to have refused requests from the United States and United Nations to increase Australia's contribution to the Multinational force in Iraq through taking over the responsibility for providing security to a sector of Iraq.^{[citation needed]} In February 2005, however, the Australian government announced that Australia would deploy an Army force to Al Muthanna Province to provide security for the Japanese engineers deployed to the province. This force, named the Al Muthanna Task Group, commenced operations in April 2005. The Australian Army battlegroup moved to Tallil Air Base in July 2006 and is currently designated Overwatch Battle Group (West). The foundation of the U.N. The United Nations (UN) is an international organization whose stated aims are to facilitate co-operation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress and human rights issues. ... The multinational force in Iraq, also known as the Shit heads, are the nations whose governments have military personnel in Iraq as part of the American-led war effort. ... Al Muthanna is one of the governorates of Iraq. ... Australian soldiers supported by an ASLAV-25 patrol along a railway line near Camp Smitty during routine foot patrols in Al Muthanna Province. ... Ur was an ancient city in southern Mesopotamia, originally located near the mouth of the Euphrates and Tigris rivers on the Persian Gulf and close to Eridu. ... Australian ASLAVs en-route to OBG(W)s base at Tallil Overwatch Battle Group (West) is an Australian Army battlegroup and represents Australias largest contribution to to the Multinational force in Iraq. ...

To date, the Australian force in Iraq has only suffered one fatality; Private Jacob Kovco who died as a result of a firearms accident while deployed to Baghdad as a member of Security Detachment Iraq. A number of Australian personnel have been wounded in attacks on Australian convoys in Baghdad. Private Kovco in Uniform Jacob (Jake) Bruce Kovco (born 25 September, 1980, Melbourne; died 21 April, 2006, Baghdad) was a private in the Australian Defence Forces who died, reportedly of a gunshot wound to the head, while on deployment in Baghdad. ... An Australian soldier in Baghdad as part of SECDET Iraq The Australian Security Detachment Iraq (SECDET Iraq) Is a part of the Australian Armys contribution to Operation Iraqi Freedom. ... Baghdad (Arabic ) is the capital of Iraq and of Baghdad Governorate. ...

The Australian contribution in context

The scale of the Australian force commitment

The Australian military contribution was relatively small, around 2000 personnel in total, which is also smaller than other Coalition commitments in proportional terms. Calculated on the basis of military personnel per head of population, the Australian forces could have been seven times larger and still not have been equal to the per-capita commitments of either the United States or the United Kingdom.

With one obvious exception, the particular forces committed by the Australian Government can be seen by some as modest and to follow past practice closely. Australia committed special forces to the US-led invasion of Afghanistan in roughly similar numbers to those above. The two RAN frigates were already on-station for the Afghanistan campaign; Kanimbla was a relatively small addition to the naval force. RAN clearance divers also took part in the first Gulf War. Combatants al-Qaeda, Taliban Northern Alliance, United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, France, New Zealand, Italy, Germany Commanders Mohammed Omar Osama bin Laden Tommy Franks Mohammed Fahim Strength Casualties {{{notes}}} The United States invasion of Afghanistan occurred in October 2001, in the wake of the September 11, 2001 attacks on... Combatants UN Coalition Republic of Iraq Commanders Norman Schwarzkopf Peter de la BilliÃ¨re Khalid bin Sultan Saleh Al-Muhaya Mohamed Hussein Tantawi Saddam Hussein Strength 883,863 360,000 Casualties 378 dead, 1,000 wounded 250,000 dead, 75,000 wounded The Gulf War (2 August 1990 â€“ 28 February...

Australia sent Hercules and Orion aircraft to assist in the Afghanistan campaign—but also Boeing 707 tankers, which had not been committed to the Gulf conflict, despite a marked Coalition shortage of probe/drogue capable tanker aircraft. The absence of the 707s was likely caused by technical rather than policy reasons: the RAAF has only four second-hand 707 tankers; all are at the end of their service lives, very difficult to maintain and soon to be replaced. View of the port (left) number 1 & 2 Pratt & Whitney JT3D jet engines of a British Caledonian Boeing 707 showing the peculiarity of the number 1 engine mount which is different from the other three. ... A tanker is an aircraft used for in-flight refuelling. ... Gulf can refer to: A gulf or bay is a part of a lake or ocean that extends so that it is surrounded by land on three sides. ... Conflict is a state of opposition, disagreement or incompatibility between two or more people or groups of people, which is sometimes characterized by physical violence. ... A coalition is an alliance among entities, during which they cooperate in joint action, each in their own self-interest. ...

The commitment of No. 75 Squadron and its supporting personnel, however, was a major change from past practice. Australia did not commit combat aircraft to the 1991 Gulf War, and although a small detachment of Hornets was deployed to Diego Garcia during the Afghanistan campaign to provide airfield defence for the joint United States-United Kingdom military facility present there, this was not a true combat role, however, but simply a precaution against possible suicide attacks by hijacked civil aircraft. The commitment of No. 75 Squadron was the first combat deployment of Australian aircraft since the Vietnam War.^[12] It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with military aviation. ... 1991 (MCMXCI) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Combatants UN Coalition Republic of Iraq Commanders Norman Schwarzkopf Peter de la BilliÃ¨re Khalid bin Sultan Saleh Al-Muhaya Mohamed Hussein Tantawi Saddam Hussein Strength 883,863 360,000 Casualties 378 dead, 1,000 wounded 250,000 dead, 75,000 wounded The Gulf War (2 August 1990 â€“ 28 February... Diego Garcia () is an atoll located in the heart of the Indian Ocean, some 1,000 miles (1,600 kilometres) south of Indias southern coast. ... For other uses, see Airport (disambiguation). ... Combatants Republic of Vietnam United States Republic of Korea Thailand Australia New Zealand The Philippines National Front for the Liberation of South Vietnam Democratic Republic of Vietnam Peopleâ€™s Republic of China Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea Strength US 1,000,000 South Korea 300,000 Australia 48,000...

No official statement has been made on the reasons behind the choice of F/A-18 fighters as Australia's primary combat commitment, but it is commonly assumed that the obvious alternative of sending a substantial land force instead was considered to involve an unacceptably high risk of casualties, particularly given the possibility of house-to-house fighting in Iraqi cities. Iraq is largely landlocked, and Australia no longer has a fixed-wing naval aviation component; thus, a larger naval commitment could not be considered particularly helpful. The choice of the F/A-18 deployment rather than of the F-111 tactical bomber may have been due to the higher cost of operation of the F-111, and its use being limited to more politically contentious ground attack missions rather than more uncontentious tasks like combat air patrols. Combat air patrol (CAP) is a type of defensive mission for fighter aircraft, in which they guard a designated site, either a fixed site on land, ships at sea, or less commonly support aircraft such as aerial tankers. ...

A Polish Army soldier patrol leader debriefs his team after completing an afternoon patrol around the perimeter of Camp Babylon, Iraq. ...

Motivations for Australia's involvement in the war

The overall purpose of the Australian commitment to the US invasion of Iraq is difficult to define with certainty. According to Prime Minister John Howard's public statements, it was to "deprive Iraq of its weapons of mass destruction" which are a "direct undeniable and lethal threat to Australia", as well as to remove "a dictatorship of a particularly horrific kind". Image File history File links Circle-question-red. ... Image File history File links Unbalanced_scales. ... An invasion is a military action consisting of armed forces of one geopolitical entity entering territory controlled by another such entity, generally with the objective of conquering territory, or altering the established government. ...

The notably smaller size of the Australian force in comparison is such that some^{[attribution needed]} do not regard it as a serious attempt to substantially influence the result of the campaign. Many domestic political commentators^{[attribution needed]} have described it as a 'token force' to show solidarity with the United States, and yet it is argued that if a mere token commitment were required, a still smaller force would cost less, reduce the risk of casualties, and serve the political purpose equally well—note that Poland is generally described as one of the belligerents and yet to equal the Polish troop commitment in population-adjusted terms, a reduced contingent of 100 Australian personnel would have sufficed.^{[citation needed]} In the military sciences, a military campaign encompass related military operations, usually conducted by a defense or fighting force, directed at gaining a particular desired state of affairs, usually within geographical and temporal limitations. ... A casualty is a person who is the victim of an accident, injury, or trauma. ...

Critics of the government^{[attribution needed]} charge that Australian support for the US was geared towards influencing the US-Australian trade negotiations which were taking place at the time in Melbourne and which provide less restricted access to US markets for Australian agricultural products—a charge the Howard Government denies.^{[citation needed]} Many political commentators suggest that Howard is obsessed with the idea of being (to use the words often wrongly attributed to Howard) the "deputy sheriff of the United States." (In fact the phrase was invented by an Australian media commentator.)^{[citation needed]} Melbournes Yarra River is a popular area for walking, jogging, cycling, rowing and for relaxing on the banks with a picnic Melbourne (pronounced ) is the second most populous city in Australia, with a metropolitan area population of approximately 3. ...

One suggestion put forward^{[attribution needed]} is that Australian participation is intended to buy what amounts to an insurance policy against any aggression by Indonesia or any other aggressor in the Asia Pacific region (i.e.. China). However, most Australians do not see Indonesia or China as threats, but as long term partners in building and maintaining stability and trade in the Oceania Region.^{[citation needed]} The majority of concerns which arise from China is the United States apparent hostility towards the communist state, and fears that US aggression towards China would put Australia into a difficult diplomatic, regional and economic position. Howard's public statements on this, perhaps moderated by the international and domestic outrage produced by the deputy sheriff remark in 1999^{[citation needed]}, have been restrained. In the words of his speech to the nation announcing and justifying the war: "There's also another reason [for sending forces to Iraq] and that is our close security alliance with the United States. The Americans have helped us in the past and the United States is very important to Australia's long-term security." According to Howard, "It is critical that we maintain the involvement of the United States in our own region".^{[citation needed]}

According to Simon Crean, who was Opposition Leader before December 2003, Australia's support for US Iraq policy has substantially increased the risk of further terrorist attacks on Australians like the 2002 Bali terrorist bombing which killed 88 Australian tourists and about 120 people from other nations as well. The Howard Government strenuously denies this claim.^{[citation needed]} Simon Findlay Crean (born 26 February 1949) an Australian politician, was leader of the Australian Labor Party and Leader of the Opposition at the Federal level, from November 2001 to 2 December 2003. ... The Bali Bombing occurred on October 12, 2002 in the town of Kuta on the Indonesian island of Bali, killing 202 people and injuring a further 209. ...

There is also the possibility that Australian troops were sent to Iraq because the Australian government believed that ousting Saddam Hussein and hunting down any nuclear, biological or chemical weapons they may have possessed was a worthy cause and that the more countries that contributed to the efforts, the more legitimate and successful they would be.^{[citation needed]} Australian troops in the Korean War were well regarded and amongst the most effective in that conflict^{[citation needed]}, despite the small size of the commitment (between one and three infantry battalions were deployed, along with some naval and other assets). The quality of training and equipment and determination of the force allows it to have a disproportionate influence for its size.^{[citation needed]} Combatants United Nations: Republic of Korea Australia Belgium Canada Colombia Ethiopia France Greece Netherlands New Zealand Philippines South Africa Thailand Turkey United Kingdom United States Medical staff: Denmark Australia Italy Norway Sweden Communist states: Democratic Peopleâ€™s Republic of Korea Peopleâ€™s Republic of China Soviet Union Commanders Syngman Rhee...

References

External links and bibliography

Categories: Articles with unsourced statements since February 2007 | All articles with unsourced statements | Accuracy disputes | Wikipedia articles needing factual verification | Multinational force involved in the 2003 Iraq conflict | Foreign relations of Australia | Military history of Australia Military history of Australia refers to the history of Australias involvement in wars. ... The Australian Defence Force numbers about 53,000 full-time active duty personnel plus another 20,700 reservists. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Australia. ... // The Two Armies: Militia and Permanent forces 1870â€“1947 For more than 80 years after the first British settlement, the only professional soldiers in Australia were members of British Army garrisons. ... Image File history File links Naval_Ensign_of_Australia. ... The Royal Australian Navy was established in 1909 and has seen action in all the worlds oceans during both World Wars and numerous other conflicts. ... Image File history File links Ensign_of_the_Royal_Australian_Air_Force. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... An Australian WWI recruiting poster, titled Would you stand by while a bushfire raged?. When WWI broke out in 1914, all of the Commonwealth nations, including Australia, were called to defend Great Britain. ... Australia entered World War II shortly after the invasion of Poland. ... Images on the back wall of the Vietnam Forces National Memorial, Canberra The Vietnam War was a conflict in which the Democratic Republic of Vietnam (DRV, or North Vietnam) and its allies fought against the Republic of Vietnam (RVN, or South Vietnam) and its allies. ... HMAS Sydney in the Persian Gulf in 1991. ... Operation Slipper is the Australian Defence Force (ADF)contribution to the International Coalition against Terrorism. ...

Contents

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