AUSTRALIA'S military strength in Iraq will more than double after appeals from the British and Japanese governments for more troops.
Prime Minister John Howard said yesterday 450 Australian troops would be sent to guard humanitarian projects in the relatively peaceful south of the country.
But the deployment has reignited argument over the war, with Labor accusing Mr Howard of breaking his election pledge of no "dramatic increase" in troop numbers.
The projects in the Al Muthanna province are being run by the Japanese military in an area under the responsibility of British troops. Mr Howard said there was "a real possibility" the projects would be abandoned if Australia did not provide assistance.
The Australians will replace 1400 Dutch soldiers to be withdrawn by their Government in March in response to domestic political pressure.
Mr Howard said he knew the troop commitment would be unpopular but it was needed to preserve gains made by Iraqis at the January 30 elections and to help progress.
"The Government believes that Iraq is very much at a tilting point, and it's very important that the opportunity of democracy ... be seized and consolidated," he said.
Labor Leader Kim Beazley condemned the decision, saying our allies in Iraq were told they had seen "the upper levels of Australia's engagement".
He accused Mr Howard of misleading voters at the last election when he said: "We're maintaining the general level of forces that we've had there, we don't have any plans for a dramatic increase."
"That was consistent with what the Government had been saying for the previous two years in statement after statement," Mr Beazley said.
"They told the Australian people that they thought the Australian commitment to Iraq was sufficient and all that there would be, give or take the odd soldier.
"Now, suddenly, there is dramatic change."
Australia currently has about 880 military personnel in the Iraq area. Some 580 are on ships in the Gulf, in air crews stationed nearby, or in army operations outside Iraq.
There are about 300 soldiers on Iraqi soil guarding diplomats and other Australian interests, and helping train Iraqi forces.
The new Australian taskforce will increase this number to 750.
The extra commitment would have what Mr Howard called "a major role in training" Iraqi security forces as well as Japanese soldiers in non-combat jobs building roads, schools, water projects and health care.
Since the end of World War II, the Japanese military has been confined to defensive roles.
The Dutch contingent has lost two lives in the two years it has been in Al Muthanna but it is a relatively safe area when compared to the violent Sunni triangle to the north.
The RSL warned that many veterans would disapprove of Australian troops being sent to protect Japanese engineers.
National President Bill Crews welcomed the "spirit of co-operation" but not all members would be willing to forget.
Howard's war in words
"We're not planning to commit a whole lot more troops. I've said all along that we don't have any capacity to have a significant number of troops on the ground."
- May 18, 2004, downplaying any increase
"We're maintaining the general level of forces that we've had there, we don't have any plans for a dramatic increase."
- October 4, 2004, during the election campaign
"We had said there may be tiny adjustments at the margin, that there would not be any substantial increase. What the UN was seeking was a substantial increase ..."
- October 22, 2004, after the UN sought troops
"The Government believes that Iraq is very much at a tilting point and it's very important that the opportunity of democracy, not only in Iraq but also in other parts of the Middle East, be seized and consolidated."
- Announcing the new deployment yesterday
Where our men and women are serving overseas
* About 400 personnel inside Iraq providing headquarters staff, security and training of the Iraqi military
* About 500 elsewhere in the Middle East, including 220 on HMAS Darwin in the Persian Gulf, plus RAAF elements operating C-130 transport aircraft and P-3C Orion maritime patrol aircraft
* 11 personnel attached to the UN Truce Supervision Organisation in Israel, Syria and Lebanon
* 25 with the Multinational Force and Observers in the Sinai
* 120 soldiers in the Solomons
* 100 soldiers assisting in East Timor
* About 950 personnel assisting in tsunami relief in Sumatra, including 150 engineers in Banda Aceh
Australian prime minister John Howard has admitted this week's decision to commit an additional 450 troops to Iraq is a policy backflip.

During the 2004 election campaign Mr Howard indicated that there would be no major increase in the number of Australian troops in Iraq.  However yesteday's announcement is set to more than double the number of Australian troops on the ground in Iraq.

Mr Howard justified the reversal of policy as being in the "broader interests of democracy in the Middle East".  He also explained that the decision came in response to requests from British and Japanese leaders.

The commitment of extra troops comes as a result of the Dutch government's decision to withdraw 1400 soldiers from Iraq, in response to political pressure in Holland.

The Australians will be deployed to the Iraqi province of Al Muthanna to provide military support for Japanese engineers working on reconstruction projects.