Australia's prime minister confirms troop withdrawal from Iraq

[NNN0LHI]

http://www.iht.com/articles/2007/12/23/asia/australia.php

SYDNEY: Making surprise visits to Iraq and Afghanistan, Australia's new prime minister, Kevin Rudd, said he would withdraw his country's combat troops from Iraq by June but confirmed that Australian soldiers would remain in Afghanistan.

"I visited the Australian battle group in Talil and spoke directly to what is a fine body of men and women," Rudd said at a joint news conference Friday in Baghdad with the Iraqi prime minister, Nuri Kamal al-Maliki. "That battle group will come to a conclusion as of June next year and will be the last battle group we deploy."

But Australia is likely to maintain the deployment of some of the approximately 1,000 support personnel it has in the theater. "Australia will continue to support our friends in Iraq through navy deployments in the Gulf to assist in the long-term security of Iraqi exports," Rudd said.

The confirmation that he would withdraw the 550 Australian combat troops from Iraq, as promised during his campaign, marks a decisive break from the policies of Rudd's predecessor, John Howard, who was one of the staunchest supporters of President George W. Bush's Iraq policies.

[acmavm]

1. Good for Rudd. Imagine, someone who really values his countryman's

lives. I've forgotten what that's like in a leader. (And believe me, I'm including the democatic leaders of the House and the Senate in on that.)

I imagine that this is carping, but 550 troops isn't exactly what I'd call 'staunch support'. It did maintain the hilarious illusion (sort of) of some kind of coalition of the willing. But staunch support would be, in my opinion, ten or twenty thousand troops at the very least. (Excepet to those 550 poor unlucky schmucks who just happen to be forced to be there, of course.)

[fascisthunter]

2. Can't Blame Him (nt)