We'll bring troops home, says Latham

A Labor government would bring Australia's troops in Iraq home by Christmas, Mark Latham has promised, while lambasting the conflict as a folly that has increased the risk of terrorism.

He would make the return of the 850 troops one of his first acts as prime minister. But the Government derided the Opposition Leader's "artificial" deadline and left open the possibility of the forces staying for some time.

Underlying Mr Latham's decision is a growing belief in Labor ranks, fuelled by polling, that Iraq could be a winner for the Opposition in the election.

"If a federal election is held this year, say the election was in September and there was a change of government, we would be hoping to have back by Christmas, certainly," Mr Latham said yesterday.

He suggested the world was more prone to terrorism because of the Iraq war, a day after militant Palestinians called for Muslims worldwide to revenge Israel's assassination of the Hamas spiritual leader, Sheik Ahmed Yassin.

The Government joined world criticism of Israel's action but, like the US, did not condemn its killing of Sheik Yassin.


http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2004/03/23/1079939647048.html

I sure don't plan on visiting Rome, London or Canberra in the near future, and especially NOT on the 11th of the month~.

I wonder whose idea it was to promote peace by assasinating a beloved elderly quadrapelegic Muslim leaving a mosque after prayers? Whoever it was, we're all wearing the blue dress now as a result of his lunacy.

"I wonder whose idea it was to promote peace by assasinating a beloved elderly quadrapelegic Muslim leaving a mosque after prayers?"

A beloved elderly quadrapelegic Muslim?

That's your description of this terrorist? You make Yassin sound like a dear old grandfather.

Ahmad Yassin was not just some elderly handicapped cleric. This man, as the leader of Hamas, was a terrorist who helped plan and promote suicide bombings which resulted in the death of hundreds of completely innocent men, women and children. Hamas's suicide targets were of no military value, they were purely to create terror and kill civilians.

Israel's assassination of this guy is no different at all from the United States attempts to kill Bin Laden and as many of his followers as we can.

I applaud Israel's actions. I am glad this terrorist has been done away with and I hope Israel will knock off his successor, Abdel Aziz Rantisi, who is also a terrorist. Infact, Israel should wipe out as much of Hamas's leadership as possible.

I don't shed a single tear for this "elderly quadrapelegic Muslim".

And for your information, killing Yassin was not about "promoting peace", it was about killing a terrorist mastermind who has been responsible for the slaughter of countless innocents.

Imajika

symbolically anyways. I remember this guy, I even sent him an e-mail the last time he lambasted the boy king and got a response too. All these countries starting to bail, its failed leadership plain and simple. By by Georgie.