Perdana Menteri Australia, John Howard, Senin mengatakan bahwa dia melihat adanya 'tanda-tanda harapan' di Irak selama kunjungannya sepekan, namun menurutnya terlalu dini untuk memperkirakan kejutan keberhasilan tentara Amerika Serikat, dalam menggemakan pandangan Washington.
Australian Prime Minister John Howard said Monday he saw signs of hope in Iraq during a weekend visit but that it was too soon to gauge the success of a US troop surge, echoing Washington's view.