Australia will withdraw troops from Iraq if the opposition Labor Party wins an election this year, party leader Kevin Rudd told U.S. President George W. Bush. ‘We discussed Iraq and Labor’s position,” Rudd said after meeting with Bush for 45 minutes in Sydney today. “That is, a negotiated, staged withdrawal of combat troops starting the middle of next year.” Rudd’s promise on troop withdrawal may attract voters ahead of an election, which must be called by Jan. 19. Prime Minister John Howard yesterday said Australian forces would remain at “present levels,” a policy opposed by 68 percent of voters. Australia was one of the original coalition partners in Iraq and has 1,575 troops in the region. Bush yesterday said the U.S. was meeting its objectives in Iraq and he will wait to hear reports from Army General David Petraeus, the top American commander in Iraq, and Ambassador Ryan Crocker next week before he makes any decisions on troop withdrawals. Bush said he would “take their recommendations into account as I develop the strategy necessary to win in Iraq,” adding that if security conditions continue to improve, fewer forces may be required to maintain stability in […]