Australia, New Zealand to Begin Troop Pullback
Australia and New Zealand will start withdrawing troops from the Solomon Islands as a peacekeeping mission restores law and order. Australia sent 1,400 personnel in July as leader of a 2,225-strong force of soldiers and police from six nations.
Direct intervention was seen as the only way to end years of fighting by ethnic militias.
Australia said 800 of its personnel would return home by early December. New Zealand said it would scale back its contribution of 230 but expected to keep 35 police officers in the islands for up to two years.
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