"The United States, Britain, Italy and Japan would pull their troops out of Iraq if the new interim authority which takes control after June 30 says they should, foreign ministers of four countries said today. Australia said it too would pull out of Iraq if asked, but doubted the request would come. A spokesman for Foreign Affairs Minister, Alexander Downer, said Australian troops were in Iraq to help the Iraqi people. They would leave when their task was completed or when they were asked to go by the Iraqi government. "We're certainly not expecting any such request being made of Australia or other coalition countries in the near future by an Iraqi interim government," the spokesman said. "We're there to assist the Iraqi people with establishing a new secure and free future," he said. "And when that task is complete and the [Iraqi] government believes it no longer requires our assistance then obviously we'll be very happy to leave."

"Iraq's new interim government will have no veto over future military operations by American-led forces after the U.S.-British occupation formally ends on June 30, Secretary of State Colin Powell said. The U.N. Security Council, divided over how much authority Baghdad will have over U.S.-led troops, focuses on the issue on Thursday, when Iraq's foreign minister addresses the 15-nation body in an effort to shape a new U.N. resolution. Powell said the interim government would be fully sovereign and able to reach agreements with Washington on how Iraqi and U.S.-led forces would operate after the handover. ... His remarks again appeared at odds with British Prime Minister Tony Blair's contention last week that the Iraqi government would be able to veto operations such as the U.S. assault on insurgents in Falluja in April.