[22 February 2005] CANBERRA,(Saba) - Australian Prime Minister John Howard on Tuesday announced that Australia will send 450 more troops to Iraq within the next 10 weeks.

Howard said the decision to send extra troops, to be based in the southern Muthanna province, followed a request from Japan and British Prime Minister Tony Blair.

Australia, an original member of the"coalition of the willing", had about 2,000 military personnel involved in the 2003 US-led invasion of Iraq but has wound its commitment back since then.

The deployment of additional soldiers comes after the government went into last October's elections promising no significant increase in the number for troops for Iraq.

TD/KM

SABA