Foreign Minister Julie Bishop has warned government MPs the Iraq mission will be dangerous, complex and long.
Ms Bishop, who has returned from Baghdad where she secured a legal agreement with the Iraqi government to send in 200 Australian special forces advisers, told a coalition party room meeting 25 people had been killed in fighting with Islamic State during the time of her brief visit.
The security situation was bad and the new Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi was doing his best, but the country was wracked by sectarianism and factionalism, she said.
"We should be under no allusions about how dangerous, complex and long this mission will be," Ms Bishop told the meeting in Canberra.
Ms Bishop said she had also met with minority groups while in Baghdad.
The joint party room also heard concerns from one MP about the proposed military pay rise which the member said was too low.
Prime Minister Tony Abbott said although the pay rise was low by historical standards no other public servants would receive a bigger rise.
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