Australian troops deployed to the Middle East would be immunised against a possible anthrax attack, Defence Minister Robert Hill said.

Senator Hill said Australia had vaccines available, despite reports to the contrary, and all at-risk personnel would be immunised.

"Any forces that may be in an area of operations in which the threat scenario would suggest anthrax is a problem will be fully inoculated," Senator Hill said.

"We've been at great pains to ensure that any of our forces who potentially might serve in conflict in that region are fully protected in every way possible," he said.

Following Friday's announcement that troops could be on their way to the Gulf within weeks, Senator Hill said Australian forces would remain under Australian command in the region.

"There would be likely to be a broader coalition command structure as well, but their direct command would be Australian," he said.

"They would therefore be operating under Australian rules of engagement against targets that had been approved by Australian authorities.

"That is the way in which we have done it in the past and it is the way we would do it in the future."

However, Senator Hill would not elaborate further on any possible timetable for troop movements as part of any possible military action against Iraq.

Following a meeting of the National Security Committee in Canberra yesterday, Prime Minister John Howard said the government had given the green light for an Australian military contingent to head to the region, possibly before February.

But he stressed the deployment, which could be formally announced in coming weeks, did not mean war with Iraq was imminent.

It remains the hope of the Australian government that this matter can be resolved without resort to military force," Mr Howard said.

Mr Howard said Australia's forward deployment would be broadly similar to the 1,500-strong force sent to Afghanistan, but could possibly include a full squadron of 14 FA-18 fighters.

It would also likely involve 150 SAS commandos and three naval ships, including an amphibious command vessel and a frigate.

Senator Hill on Friday reaffirmed the government's view that the onus remained on Iraq to demonstrate it would now comply with UN Security Council resolutions on weapons inspections.

He said it was Iraqi President Saddam Hussein's last chance to demonstrate that he had destroyed all his weapons of mass destruction.

"What's happened to date is that he has said that he has destroyed those weapons but he has been unwilling to give to the inspectors evidence of the place in which they were destroyed, how they were destroyed, who destroyed them or provide access to the personnel that are supposed to have destroyed those weapons," Senator Hill said.

©AAP 2003