TONY JONES: The Prime Minister is on his way home tonight after spending his 66th birthday in Abu Dhabi. In the last act of a two-week overseas tour, John Howard held trade talks with the government of the United Arab Emirates. But earlier, he made a dramatic whistlestop tour to Baghdad and to southern Iraq, where he thanked Australian troops for their efforts in helping Iraqi forces. Political correspondent Jim Middleton reports.
JIM MIDDLETON: The Australian soldiers in southern Iraq weren't supposed to know that John Howard was coming, but then his Iraqi counterpart, Ibrahim al-Jaafari, gave the game away in Baghdad. The troops got calls from home saying the Prime Minister could be coming their way, and when he made it to Camp Smitty they were ready with a joke or two.
JOHN HOWARD, PRIME MINISTER: Everybody's looking younger each year.
JIM MIDDLETON: Last week the Australians defeated a cricket team from the British forces in the region, and surprisingly there was talk of the Ashes, too.
JOHN HOWARD: McGrath is fantastic.
JIM MIDDLETON: The Australians have been in Al Muthanna province since March, protecting a contingent of Japanese engineers and training Iraqi forces to take over security. McGrath, Gilchrist, Ponting and Warne are the Australian sector names for Al Muthanna. It's safer than other parts of Iraq, but still not without its dangers.
UNIDENTIFIED AUSTRALIAN SOLDIER: Since we got here there've been three direct attacks by rockets and one IED - two of the indirect attacks against the Japanese and one against us and the Japanese.
JIM MIDDLETON: Nevertheless, Mr Jaafari is looking to a time when the Australians can go home, predicting Al Muthanna could be the first province to provide its own security.
IBRAHIM AL-JAAFARI, IRAQI PRIME MINISTER (TRANSLATION): Al Muthanna could be the first city to witness such a pull-out as a step toward a full withdrawal from Iraq.
JIM MIDDLETON: Al Muthanna may well prove to be the first province not to need foreign troops to provide security, but that doesn't mean John Howard is any more eager to provide a timetable for the withdrawal of the Australian contingent.
JOHN HOWARD: The timetables will follow the achievement of progress towards the goals. It's always struck me as absurd to set a timetable before you've established goals and you are moving towards those goals. And we're moving towards those goals, but we still have a long way to go before we can start talking timetables.
JIM MIDDLETON: The Prime Minister had been spirited into Baghdad on an Air Force C 1230, clad in full body armour and a helmet. The road from the airport was deemed too dangerous, so the Prime Minister and his party were bundled into American Blackhawk helicopters for the roof-top race into the Green Zone. Mr Howard had 45 minutes with Mr Al-Jaafari.
JOHN HOWARD: Australia's desire is to see the continued development of an independent democratic Iraq.
IBRAHIM AL-JAAFARI (TRANSLATION): I congratulate you on your third term in office. It is no doubt a rare occurrence in Australian politics and this is an indication that the Australian people love you.
JIM MIDDLETON: One victory short, but high praise, nevertheless.
IBRAHIM AL-JAAFARI (TRANSLATION): We look forward to your increasing support in all of the feels of security and reconstruction and the economic aspects.
JIM MIDDLETON: But the Prime Minister said the subject of a further increase in Australian forces did not come up.
JOHN HOWARD: That was not raised.
JIM MIDDLETON: After seven hours in Iraq, Mr Howard flew to the safety of Abu Dhabi where he's now celebrating his 66th birthday. The one-day cricket top was presented to him by the camp's committee contingent. Jim Middleton, Lateline.