Australia to urge Bush to stay the course in Iraq

[ECH1969]

CANBERRA - Australia will urge US President George W. Bush to maintain his policies on Iraq despite the electoral backlash against the Republicans, Prime Minister John Howard said on Thursday.

US voter anger against the war in Iraq saw Bush’s Republican party lose control of the House of Representatives and possibly Congress in mid-term elections on Wednesday, prompting the resignation of Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld.

“I will be telling him (Bush) that Australia’s view is that it would be against everybody’s interest, except the terrorists, for the coalition to leave in circumstances of defeat,” Howard told reporters on Thursday.

Staunch US ally Australia, which has about 1,500 troops in and around Iraq, was one of the first nations to join the 2003 US-led war that ousted former Iraqi president Saddam Hussein.

http://www.khaleejtimes.ae/DisplayArticleNew.asp?xfile=data/focusoniraq/2006/November/focusoniraq_November90.xml§ion=focusoniraq&col=

[rodeodance]

1. hey, Aussie people,, Time to smell the coffee

[Art_from_Ark]

3. I know a bunch of Australians

and none of them are urging bu$h to "stay the course" in Iraq.

Methinks Mr. Howard speaks for Mr. Howard.

[xchrom]

2. maybe howard you should pony up

ten thousand or more australians then.

[badgervan]

6. 1500?

1500 troops aren't enough to protect one small village.

[depakid]

4. Howard's on the outs

His approval rating is in the toilet- yet he's still too arrogant to step down.

[leesa]

5. Did Howard ask any OTHER Australian people?

Weren't they just saying they were gonna exit this mess a short while ago?

[radfringe]

7. DIDN'T Howard get the memo?

It's never been about stay the course, and bush has no idea where that idea crept into people's minds...

stay the course - nonsense.. never said that... totally perplexicated ;)
that being said - ideas for new catch phrases are on the table