[LINK] Australia calls in favour from Washington

[Russell Ashdown]

<http://english.aljazeera.net/topics/article.asp?cu_no=1&item_no=21
20&version=1&template_id=277&parent_id=258>

Staking its claim to a share of the post-war economic cake, Australia 
announced on Tuesday that it expected to play a role in the interim 
administration that the US plans to install in Iraq after the fall of 
Saddam Hussein. "We hope to play a modest but useful role," said 
the country’s defence minister, Robert Ray. 

Foreign minister Alexander Downer said that the country - an ally of 
the US in its armed campaign in Iraq - planned to play a role in 
reviving Iraq’s agricultural sector. Having returned from the US last 
weekend after talks with senior American officials including US 
secretary of state Colin Powell, Downer said Australia has proposed 
and expected to be given responsibility for assisting Iraq’s 
agricultural sector. Australian officials were said to be already 
working with the office of Reconstruction and Humanitarian Affairs in 
Washington and Kuwait, set up by the US military, in preparation of 
the Australian involvement in Iraq’s post-war reconstruction.  
Australia has sent a small batch of troops to fight alongside US and 
British troops in Iraq. 

Downer said that Australian proposals for a role in Iraq has been 
warmly received by the US. "I do not want to give an impression that 
Australia will necessarily be playing a key role, though its possible in 
the area of agriculture," the minister explained. 
 
Iraq, one of Australia's biggest wheat importers, cut its imports by 
almost one half last December as a response to Canberra's support 
of the US on Iraq. 
 
 Australian Prime Minister John Howard is expected to travel to 
Washington after the war ends to discuss post war issues with US 
president, George Bush.
 
 --- Al Jazeera Net with agencies.