Australia Announces Troop Withdrawal From Iraq

Source: AfterDowningStreet

Australia Announces Troop Withdrawal From Iraq
Submitted by davidswanson on Tue, 2008-01-29 14:55. Media

In a severe blow to US efforts to bring about stability in war-torn Iraq, Australia has announced its decision to withdraw its military troops from the country.

The announcement comes even as President George Bush in his last State of the Union address said that the al-Qaida is on the run in Iraq.

Australian Foreign Affairs Minister, Stephen Smith conveyed his country's decision to US secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, US Secretary Robert Gates and Vice President Dick Cheney on his first official visit to Washington since Kevin Rudd Government's election last year.

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Read more: http://www.afterdowningstreet.org/?q=node/30518

How novel...

now if we could only learn something.

Fosters, incidentally, was created by the Brothers Foster, who are American. :)

It's hilarious: no one drinks it here.

knowing _Bush will hold a grudge, and retaliate when possible.

He knows he did the right thing. The payoff will be more Australian people, and those they would kill in Iraq will not be killed because someone didn't want to offend the creepy little cancer in the White House.

"The time has come to say fairs fair let's pay our rent, let's pay our share. How can we dance while the worlds still turning? How can we sleep while the beds are burning?" Congrats to all Australians for finally having a government worthy of real praise. First they go after Japanese whalers and now they are stopping supporting an illegal and immoral war. If only America had that type of guts. If only.

I'm glad that Peter Garrett is in Parliament but I have heard grumbles that he has modified a lot of his earlier positions in order to "play ball" with the Labour Party. I hope he doesn't sell out too much. I've always been a big fan.

1. pragmatic or 2. sell out. Personally I think he sold out but in order to be part of a government one must temper ones positions to that of the party.

I say this as a fan of Midnight Oil from their early days.


Peace

Do you know any Australian women looking for a seppo husband?
I so very much want to leave this godforsaken country behind.
I've been to Oz and I love it. Now if some nice woman will take me in, I can come back for good! B-)

legs would fall off by now.

including a reconstruction task force and up to 300 SAS and commandos - despite concerns about the military situation and political turmoil in neighbouring Pakistan.


The article didn't say where (large cities )the southern Dhi Qar province is located that the 500 Iraqi det is stationed but Australia knows where the fight needs to be won.

Indonesia is on their doorstep and while the US still has great oceans that offer a larger buffer zone.

upon further review, the Oz group only lost two soldiers during their whole time in Iraq, both by non hostile accidents
http://icasualties.org/oif/Country.aspx?hndRef=AUS

very good combat record imo