The Sunday Times - Britain July 10, 2005 UK in talks to hand Iraq role to Australia Michael Smith BRITAIN is negotiating with Australia to hand over military command of southern Iraq to free up British troops for redeployment to the front line in Afghanistan. An announcement is expected within weeks that several thousand British soldiers are to be sent to Afghanistan. The prospect of Australia taking command at the Basra headquarters will be a key item in talks that John Howard, the Australian prime minister, will be holding next weekend with Tony Blair and President George W Bush. Howard, who is also considering sending a few hundred troops to Afghanistan, insisted last week that Australia would remain in Iraq “until the job is finished