Australian Prime Minister John Howard gives a farewell speech to elite Special Air Service (SAS) troops at a military base near Perth in Western Australia on October 22, 2001. Howard bade farewell to the first Australian troops to join the US-led attacks on Afghanistan amid tight security on Monday, cementing the focus on war over local issues before a November 10 election. Australia is deploying 1,550 military personnel — including about 150 SAS troops, four fighter aircraft, three frigates and two refuelling aircraft — to join the US-led action. —REUTERS