Tonga will withdraw its soldiers from Iraq before Christmas, the Commander of the Tonga Defence Services, Brigadier Tau'aika 'Uta'atu confirmed today, in Nuku'alofa.

He said that Tonga's fourth contingent of 55 soldiers who were deployed to Iraq in August would be back in Tonga before Christmas.

Brigadier Tau'aika said that bilateral negotiation was going on between the Americans and the Iraq government on whether the Americans should extend their stay in Iraq beyond December.

Meanwhile, only six countries out of the 28 countries with soldiers in Iraq are negotiating bilateral agreements with the Iraq government for them to stay on in Iraq, including Britain and Australia.

Brigadier Tau'aika said that Iraq government wanted the USA to remain in Iraq because even though there was a marked drop in violence and suicide bombing in the country, but the Iraq military and police were still not very stable.

"It appeared that violence had shifted from Iraq to Afghanistan, but there was a concern by the Iraq government that more blood shed would return once America and its allies leave Iraq."

Tonga first sent a contingent of 44 soldiers to Iraq in 2004, in response to a request from the American government for assistance.

Tonga's then Prime Minister and Minister of Defence, Prince 'Ulukalala, said in a speech to farewell the Tongan soldiers, that they were going to Iraq on a peace keeping mission.

More than 200 Tongan soldiers have served in Iraq to date and so far Tonga has been lucky that there have been no Tongan casualties.