Australian Embassy remains in Baghdad

CANBERRA, Australia, Aug. 16 (UPI) -- The Australian government says it will not move its embassy in Iraq out of Baghdad.

Australian Foreign Minister Alexander Downer told parliament Wednesday that the embassy staff are doing an important job and will stay in the Iraqi capital.

He was answering a call from the Labor Opposition spokesman on defense, Robert McClelland, that the government should consider relocating the diplomatic mission after a rocket attack in Baghdad last week injured four Australian soldiers.

The government's "instinctive reaction is not just to close our embassy and run away," Downer said. "We didn't close our embassy in Jakarta when it was bombed, we stuck it out and we are going to do the same thing in Baghdad as well."