Australian Defense Minister Robert Hill has said Australian forces could be withdrawn from Iraq within a year "unless the unexpected happens."

Hill told The Weekend Australian newspaper that a time table for withdrawal would depend on decisions by the Japanese government as well as the ability of Iraqi forces to provide their own security.

Australia, a staunch ally of the United States on the war of Iraq, sent 2,000-strong troops to join the US-led "coalition of the willing" that invaded Iraq in March, 2003.

It now maintains around 1,400 troops in the Middle East, with anew taskforce of 450 troops being recently deployed in Iraq's southern province of Al Muthanna providing security for Japanese army engineers and training to local forces.

"Muthanna will depend on the ability of Iraq to basically manage its own affairs. It is significantly growing its own security force in numbers and capability," Hill said.

"Unless the unexpected happens, they (the Iraqi security forces) should be able to look after their own security within 12 months." he said.

Hill also acknowledged the number of suicide bombers in Iraq had increased significantly in recent weeks, saying "It's a bit hard to predict how that's going to play out."

He said the Australian government would consider forging closer links with Southeast Asian special forces as part of the next phase in countering regional terrorism.

Building closer regional military cooperation in the area of counter-terrorism would be a key issue for the defense department's forthcoming defense update paper which would review existing defense policy, he said.

"There's still room to support evolving counter-terrorist capabilities within our own region that I think are going to be important in terms of our own security," he said.

Hill's remarks also came at a time when an Australian contractor was being held hostage in Iraq, with his captors demanding withdrawal of US, British and Australian troops from Iraq.
 
(Xinhua News Agency May 21, 2005)