Australia announced Wednesday that a first military contingent would leave for the Gulf this week, despite strong political and public opposition to involvement in a US-led war in Iraq.

Defence Minister Robert Hill said the troops would be bid farewell from Sydney aboard the transport carrier HMAS Kanimbla by Prime Minister John Howard and defence chiefs on Thursday.

The deployment, codenamed "Operation Bastille", will comprise a Sea King helicopter, an army landing craft, an army air defence detachment and a specialist explosives ordnance disposal team.

But it will not include the squadron of elite Special Air Service (SAS) troops that will form the front line of Australia's tiny but symbolically important contribution to US President George W Bush's campaign to oust Saddam Hussein and disarm Iraq.

The SAS squadron, expected to be about 150 in strength, will be formally farewelled by Hill from their base in Perth, Western Australia, on Friday, but the government has not disclosed when it will be deployed.

A small RAAF reconnaissance team will also be sent to look after a squadrom of up to 14 F/A-18 Hornets which has also been committed.

The decision to send troops was announced by Howard earlier this month.

The government has also told defence chiefs to prepare a series of special forces support elements, including troop-lift helicopters, a transport Hercules and a quick reaction commando support force, for potential forward deployment.

Hill said the government had not made any decision to commit forces to war against Iraq, but the departure of troops would increase pressure on Saddam to comply with UN demands to hand over Iraq's weapons of mass destruction.

"Only by maintaining the pressure, and leaving no doubt about the consequences of non-compliance, will there be a chance of a diplomatic solution," Hill said.

"The objective of Bastille is to ensure that the men and women of the ADF are given the best possible opportunity to prepare for the possibility of conflict in the event that a diplomatic solution cannot be found." However, the large US and British troop movements in recent days signal growing fears that war against Iraq is inevitable.

Hill said the deployments would have no impact on the defence force's ability to respond to regional or local problems.

Defence analysts voiced concern Wednesday that Australia could be moving beyond the point of no return.

"I think it means if the United States and the United Kingdon decide to strike Iraq without a further resolution from the United Nations, Australia will follow," Michael McKinley, a senior lecturer in international relations at the Australian National University, told Australian public radio.

Ron Huisken, a member of the university's Centre for Defence and Strategic studies, said that because of Australia's strong support of US policy on Iraq, the Australian public would find it hard to accept the deployment was not a commitment to go to war.

A poll by SBS broadcasting station this week showing 61 percent opposition to Australian involvement in any US-led military action was the latest to show a large majority of Australians opposing war without UN backing.

The figure was up eight percent on a similar poll in October.

The survey, of 1,200 Australians last weekend, found only 30 percent support for Australia following US into a war with Iraq.

Opposition Labor leader Simon Crean called on the government to reconsider its decision, saying: "John Howard should be listening to what the Australian people want, not what George Bush wants.

"It is the wrong decision by the government, they should not be deploying any troops to Iraq ahead of authorisation by the United Nations and I call on the prime minister to reconsider that position," he said - Sapa-AFP