australia to offer residence to iraqis who hel

At least were not as paranoid as the US

SYDNEY (AFP)--Australia said Wednesday it would offer permanent residence to hundreds of Iraqi employees when Canberra pulls its combat forces out of the strife-torn country later this year.

The government did not want to repeat the mistakes of the Vietnam War when Australia left behind almost all local staff during a hasty withdrawal from Saigon, Defence Minister Joel Fitzgibbon said.

Forces opposed to the US-led operation in Iraq had deliberately targeted Iraqis working with Australian troops in southern Iraq, he told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.

Australian soldiers had raised concerns about their plight during a trip to Iraq by Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, who has pledged to withdraw the country's 500 combat troops by the middle of the year.

"The first group of employees to benefit will be a select group of Iraqis who have worked for, or with, the withdrawing elements of the Australian Defence Force commitment in Iraq," Fitzgibbon said.

"These Iraqis have repeatedly shown their commitment to Australia's security and reconstruction operations in Iraq." The offer will be extended to all locally-hired employees and their families, and could involve up to 600 Iraqis.

"Interpreters and translators have played a very significant role in assisting with strategy and protection, and we feel we have a moral obligation to resettle them in Australia," he said.

Immigration officials were preparing to travel to Iraq and neighboring nations to process applications.


(END) Dow Jones Newswires

April 09, 2008 00:34 ET (04:34 GMT