AUSTRALIA:Australian prime minister John Howard vowed to keep his country's forces in Iraq as long as necessary, as US president George Bush prepared to meet today the leader of the Australian opposition, who wants to bring troops home.
Mr Bush's arrival in Sydney for the Apec summit, the annual gathering of Pacific Rim nations, has intensified debate about Australia's presence in Iraq and its alliance with the US.
With an election only months away, Australian Labor Party leader Kevin Rudd has put opposition to the Iraq war at the heart of his campaign to end Mr Howard's 11-year premiership.
Mr Bush said he looked forward to an "honest exchange of views" with Mr Rudd, who has promised a phased withdrawal of the 1,600 Australian troops.
Opinion polls give Labor a commanding lead over Mr Howard's coalition government, raising questions about the impact a change of leadership would have on relations between the two countries. Under Mr Howard, Australia has been one of Mr Bush's closest and most reliable allies.
Underscoring the depth of the alliance, the two leaders yesterday signed a defence co-operation treaty aimed at increasing exchanges of military technology. Mr Howard said he made it clear during talks with Mr Bush that Australian forces would remain at their current level in Iraq as long as they were needed.
"We believe that progress is being made in Iraq, difficult though it is. And we do not believe this is the time to be setting any proposals for a scaling down of Australian forces," he said.
Mr Bush said his friendship with the Australian leader had enhanced bilateral relations and noted that Mr Howard had come from behind in the polls to win previous elections. "I wouldn't count the man out," he said.
But Mr Bush said the alliance would remain strong regardless of who won. "Our relationship is bigger than any individual," he said. "It's a relationship based upon values, common values."
Mr Rudd denied relations with Washington would suffer if he became prime minister, but he said he was against "automatic compliance" with US foreign policy.