"All Australians can be justly proud of the superb performance of Australian's air, naval and special forces in Operation Iraqi Freedom," Bush said in his weekly radio address.

"America is deeply grateful for their important contributions," the president said as he and Howard met on Bush's beloved "Prairie Chapel" ranch, a prized diplomatic reward granted to only a handful of world leaders.

The US leader added a warning of "much work to do in Iraq" even now that Saddam Hussein has been toppled, including proving Bush's charge that the ousted leader possessed chemical and biological weapons; hunting down former officials for trial; and putting the bloodied nation on course for democracy.

"We will stand with the new leaders of Iraq as they establish a government of, by and for the Iraqi people. The transition from dictatorship to democracy is hard, and will take time -- but it is worth every effort," he said.

"Our coalition will stay until our work is done, then we will leave -- and we will leave behind a free Iraq," said Bush.

As one of just four nations contributing combat forces to the effort to topple Saddam, Australia also figured prominently when Bush declared the war in Iraq "one victory" in the broader anti-terrorism campaign in a speech Thursday from the nuclear aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln.

While Bush has frequently touted the "coalition of the willing" he says supported the war, the speech listed just Britain, Australia and Poland as having "shared in the hardships of war."

In his radio address, Bush was far more specific, reciting a litany of contributions from Australia and calling Howard "a strong ally in the war on terror" sparked by the September 11, 2001 strikes.

"Australian Special Forces entered Iraq with their American and British counterparts at the very beginning of Operation Iraqi Freedom," he said.

"They helped to secure sites in western Iraq that could have been used to launch scud missiles. And they disrupted Iraqi troop movements and command posts, paving the way for Army and Marine units making their way to Baghdad.

"Australia FA-18 fighters carried out deep bombing runs in Iraq. The Australian Navy worked with British forces to take control of the Faw Peninsula.

"Australian Navy divers cleared mines in the port of Umm Qasr, opening sea lanes to deliver humanitarian assistance. And Australian transport planes delivered emergency supplies and equipment for Iraqi hospitals.

"All told, about 2,000 Australian service members contributed to the destruction of Saddam Hussein's regime and the liberation of the Iraqi people," the US president said.

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