CANBERRA, Nov. 18 (Xinhuanet) -- Top officials of Australia and the United States on Friday agreed to boost counter-terrorism efforts in Southeast Asia as well as in Iraq.

    The annual Australia-US Ministerial Consultations (AUSMIN) were held in Adelaide, capital city of Australia's state of South Australia, amid tight security with the attendance of Australian Foreign Minister Alexander Downer, Defense Minister Robert Hill and US Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld and Deputy Secretary of State Robert Zoellick.

    In a joint communique released after the talks, the two countries emphasized the importance of encouraging governments and institutions that promote tolerance and work to counter extremism, but gave no details of the new measures to combat terrorism.

    The consultations were held only days after a video tape was seized by Indonesian police showing a masked man warning that Australia will face more attacks unless it pulls its troops out of Iraq and Afghanistan.

    Australia, who maintains around 1,300 troops in and around Iraq, is the only one in core countries in the US-led coalition forces in the war-torn Middle East country which has never experienced a major attack on home soil.

    The two countries pledged in the joint communique to pursue their efforts to defeat "terrorists and insurgents" in war-ravaged Iraq.

    Rumsfeld dismissed growing calls for the United States to start withdrawing forces from Iraq, saying Iraq was several years behind Afghanistan as a secure country.

    He told reporters after the talks that as Iraqi forces took more control of their own security, it would enable US forces to be diverted to other assignments within Iraq.

    Meanwhile, it was reported that Australian Prime Minister John Howard, in South Korea for Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation summit, said Friday that Australia has not been asked to withdraw its troops from Iraq, but would immediately comply if Iraq's government made such a request.

    His comments follow remarks by Iraqi Prime Minister Ibrahim al-Jaafari's spokesman that troops were no longer needed in southern province where Australian troops are based.

    The town hall of Adelaide, where the talks were held, was surrounded by a security detail, the size of which has never been seen in Adelaide.

    Three protesters were arrested as a group of about 300 demonstrators, who object to Australia's commitment of troops to the US-led invasion of Iraq, attempted to disrupt Rumsfeld's motorcade as he left the meeting.

    The two countries also announced a program of US strategic bomber training in Australia.

    Under the arrangements, US B52, B-1 and B-2 stealth aircraft could fly from as far away as the continental United States for training operations at the Delamere air weapons range in the Northern Territory.

    "Both sides underlined the continuing importance of their alliance as an anchor of a permanent US security presence in the Asia-Pacific region and the United States' role in promoting security, prosperity and democracy in this part of the world," the joint communique said. Enditem