About 550 Australian troops in Iraq should be withdrawn by about the middle of next year, prime minister-elect Kevin Rudd said today.
Australia has about 1,500 troops in and around Iraq, but Mr Rudd, who won power in an election on November 24th made a promise to bring frontline forces home.
Mr Rudd promised a gradual withdrawal of the troops but had been coy about setting a timetable for their return. The troops are based mainly in Iraq's more peaceful south, where they help maintain security and train Iraqi forces.
Australia, a close ally of the United States, was one of the first countries to commit troops to the US-led invasion of Iraq, and Australia's former conservative government had been a strong supporter of the US mission in Iraq.
US President George W Bush phoned Mr Rudd last weekend to congratulate him on his election victory, but Mr Rudd refused to comment on the detail or say whether they talked about Iraq.
Mr Rudd will officially take office in Australia when he is sworn in on Monday. He said his government would start discussions with the United States on the withdrawal soon after.