Plus ca change, plus c'est la meme chose

"On national security, the time has come to implement an exit strategy for our combat forces in Iraq." Kevin Rudd on the eve of last year's federal election, 27/11/07

Wow! Kev's gonna bring our troops home! In fact, the Rudd government's policy on getting out of Iraq is virtually indistinguishable from that of the Howard government. Read on...

The rot set in when Rudd succeeded Beazley as ALP leader in 2006: "Kevin Rudd has moved to recast Labor's commitment to an immediate troop pullout from Iraq stressing the need for 'deep consultation' with Washington... Mr Rudd also left open the possibility that Australian troops could remain in Iraq into 2008 if Labor wins next year's election. Under Mr Beazley, the ALP committed to an immediate withdrawal of the 500-strong contingent of Australian troops now based in southern Iraq." (Rudd to hold fire on Iraq pullout, The Australian, 13/12/06)

Labor's pre-election (2007) position on troop withdrawal: "Labor will initiate a phased withdrawal of our troops, in consultation with our US and British allies...This means that Labor will withdraw the 550 combat troops in southern Iraq - the Overwatch Group... To allow time for responsible consultation with our allies Labor will provide an additional troop rotation taking the deployment through until mid-2008. We will keep a number of other military assets in Iraq and continue to examine an appropriate timetable for their eventual withdrawal." (Labor's Position on Iraq, http://www.alp.org/)

Post-election we learn that: "Air Chief Marshal Houston...confirmed that the job of Australian troops in southern Iraq was done and they could come home mid-year...After that, Australia's major military contribution to the Iraq mission will be 2 surveillance aircraft and a warship. Australia will also retain its 100-member security detachment in Baghdad which guards Australian diplomats. A number of Australian officers attached to the coalition headquarters will also remain.... The Australians will pull out at the end of the current 6-month rotation, in the middle of the year. That was likely to have happened even if the federal coalition had retained governmement at the last election, ACM Housten said." (Iraq war bill to top $2b: defence chief, news.sbs.com.au, 20/2/08)

"Houston told the Senate committee that Australia currently has 1540 military personnel involved in the Iraq war..." (Rudd to keep 900 troops in Iraq, http://www.greenleft.org.au/)

Conclusion: 990 (1540 minus 550) Australian troops will remain in Iraq - regardless of whether Howard or Rudd were Prime Minister.