Aust must do more to train Iraqi army: Nelson

[kiwi]

Aust must do more to train Iraqi army: Nelson

Australia should be doing more to help the Iraqi army look after its own people's interests, says Opposition Leader Brendan Nelson.

The Australian Defence Force said yesterday the 30,000th Iraqi soldier is about to graduate from an Australian-mentored training course in southern Iraq.

But the Australian training team will head home mid-year, along with the 515-member Overwatch Battlegroup, under Labor's election commitment to bring combat troops home.

"The best thing for us to do if we want to help the Iraqi people, if we want Iraq to be an independent democracy (is) as we do in other countries," Dr Nelson told reporters today.

"It's not just about military hardware and policing, it's also about helping people to help themselves and helping Iraqis who've been through a hell of a lot over the last 20 years, to grow their own food, to look after themselves.

"One of the other things, though, that I do think Mr Rudd should be doing, is advising the United States and the Iraqis that we will do even more to train the Iraqi security forces."

At a press conference with US President George W Bush earlier today (AEDT), Prime Minister Kevin Rudd announced a $165 million assistance package to the Iraqi government to help train their farmers.

Dr Nelson said that whether it was in East Timor, the Solomons or in Iraq, Australia's responsibility was to train the locals up to look after themselves.

"Whilst the battle group is coming back from central and southern Iraq in a few months' time, I think Mr Rudd should give serious consideration to getting more support from the Australian army to train up the Iraqi army so they can look after themselves," Dr Nelson said.

AAP