We'll bring troops home, says Latham

[dudeness]

Date: March 24 2004


By Tom Allard, Foreign Affairs Reporter

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.

After a Newspoll that found 65 per cent of voters believed Iraq increased the risk of terrorist attack in Australia, Mr Latham used his strongest language so far on the war, branding it a folly, a mistake and a "side alley". snip..


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


yes bring them home and let iraq decide its own future..this was an illegal invasion and i hope bush blair and howard are all relegated to the dustbin of history..