Australian Leader Endorses Iraq Policy
Bush in Sydney for Economic Summit

By Michael A. Fletcher
Washington Post Staff Writer
Wednesday, September 5, 2007

SYDNEY, Sept. 5 -- President Bush received a firm endorsement of his Iraq war policy from embattled Australian Prime Minister John Howard, who said on Wednesday that he would not withdraw any of his nation's combat troops from the country until the mission is complete.

"Australian forces will remain at their current levels in Iraq, not based on any calendar but based on conditions on the ground," said Howard, who is facing a reelection challenge in a campaign against an opponent who favors a staged withdrawal of the 1,500 Australian military personnel in Iraq.

Howard's remarks on Iraq came after a meeting with Bush during which the two leaders agreed to tighten their already close alliance by signing new agreements on defense matters, the sharing of civil nuclear technology and combating climate change.

"Good job," Bush said as he shook hands with Howard after signing the defense agreement.

Bush arrived here after making an unannounced visit to Iraq and before he meets with other world leaders gathering here for the 21-nation Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit, which begins Thursday. As a security precaution, parts of the city are cordoned off by concrete barricades and steel fences.

The American president rearranged the timing of his visit here so he could be back in Washington as his administration provides a formal assessment of progress in the war to Congress on Sept. 15. Before coming here, Bush made a secretive stop at a U.S. air base in Iraq, where he raised the possibility of troop withdrawals if the security situation continues to improve.

Speaking at the news conference with Howard, Bush would not make any assurances about troop withdrawals. He said any decisions on troop levels would hinge on the advice he receives from Gen. David H. Petraeus, the U.S. military commander in Iraq, and Ryan C. Crocker, the U.S. ambassador there.

"I will then take their recommendations into account as I develop the strategy necessary to win in Iraq. That's all I'm interested in," Bush said.

While trade and other economic matters lie at the heart of the APEC agenda, Bush will also be pushing to forge agreement on security issues, including the struggle against Islamic extremism, curbing the nuclear ambitions of Iran and North Korea and keeping allies on board in the difficult wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

With six-nation North Korean nuclear talks set to resume this month, Bush will be urging the other nations to keep up pressure on the communist state to dismantle its now frozen nuclear program and its plutonium facility at Yongbyon.

Aides say Bush will be trying to get other countries on board to pressure Iran to end its suspected nuclear weapons program. Bush will be seeking cooperation from China on several fronts, including doing more to confront the humanitarian crisis in the Darfur region of Sudan. Bush is also likely to discuss the U.S. trade deficit with China and the Chinese military buildup.

"Is China an issue for the world? Absolutely," Bush told reporters before leaving Washington. "But I don't view it as a negative issue. I view it as an opportunity to work with a -- one of the really significantly growing economies in the world."

Bush sidestepped a question about whether he will confront Chinese President Hu Jintao about reports that the Chinese military had hacked into a sensitive Pentagon computer system. Bush would not confirm the report and, without naming China, said he may raise the issue with leaders, adding, "I don't have the intelligence at my fingertips right now."

Bush said he would raise the issue of climate change with China and the other APEC countries, which together account for 60 percent of the world economy. Bush indicated that he hopes his discussion will help facilitate an environmental summit of the world's top industrialized and developing nations that he will host in Washington this month.

While the president was roundly criticized for his decision early in his administration not to join in the Kyoto Protocol, the U.N.-led effort that set binding goals for major industrial nations to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, he now wants the United States to play a pivotal role on the issue.

Some allies see that as a major shift for Bush, as climate change has grown into a larger political issue both in the United States and abroad.

After their meeting, Bush and Howard -- who also opposed Kyoto -- released a joint statement pledging to work together to combat climate change.

"I'm looking forward to reminding people that I take the climate change issue seriously; that we recognize that there needs to be international -- an international accord to get people at the table who are the major emitters to set a goal," Bush said.

Bush began his work here with the meeting with Howard, a close ally who supported the invasion of Iraq and Afghanistan from the beginning. Bush has forged a close relationship with Howard, whom he has called a "man of steel" for his resolve in backing U.S. military efforts.

But now the contingent of Australian combat troops has become an issue in Howard's reelection campaign. Opposition leader Kevin Rudd, who is leading in the polls before a fall vote, has talked about pulling combat troops out of Iraq.

Later Wednesday, Bush and Howard had lunch with Australian troops at the Garden Island Naval Installation near Sydney before more scheduled meetings and a dinner. Bush is scheduled to meet with Rudd on Thursday.

"So the first thing I'm going to do is explain to him my views about this -- the world in which we live," Bush said of his upcoming meeting with Rudd. "I'll remind him that, as far as I'm concerned, that leaving Iraq before the job is done will cause an enemy that attacked us before to become emboldened."