Australia ends combat operations in Iraq 01/06/2008 - 11:31:54
An Australian Defence Department spokesperson says the nation’s troops in Iraq are officially ending combat operations today.
Troops were holding a ceremony that included lowering the Australian flag, which had flown over Camp Terendak in Talil, southern Iraq, the spokesperson said.
The move fulfils a campaign promise of Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, who was elected last November, to bring Australia’s 550 combat troops home by the middle of this year.
Several hundred other troops remain there in supporting roles such as guarding diplomats.
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