<font size="5"><center>
Austrailian President John Howard
launches attack on Barack Obama</font size><font size="4">
Says victory for Barack Obama would just encourage
terrorists to estabilise and destroy Iraq</font size></center>
Sunday Herald
By Sandra O'Malley
February 11, 2007 06:37pm
Melbourne, Australia
PRIME Minister John Howard has launched a broadside against US presidential hopeful Barack Obama, warning his victory could destroy Iraq and prospects for peace in the Middle East.
Mr Howard's stinging attack against the popular Democrat, who formally launched his bid for the Democratic candidacy overnight, also appears to commit Australian troops to staying in Iraq well into 2008.
Only days after saying Australia's alliance with the US was about more than his personal friendship with US President George W Bush, Mr Howard warned that an Obama victory would be a boost for the terrorists.
The man who wants to be the first black US president has pledged to withdraw US troops from Iraq by March 2008, a timetable Mr Howard believes is dangerous.
"I think that would just encourage those who wanted completely to destabilise and destroy Iraq, and create chaos and victory for the terrorists to hang on and hope for (an) Obama victory," Mr Howard told the Nine Network.
"If I was running al-Qaeda in Iraq, I would put a circle around March 2008, and pray, as many times as possible, for a victory not only for Obama, but also for the Democrats."
Labor described Mr Howard's attack against Senator Obama as unprecedented.
Opposition foreign affairs spokesman Robert McClelland said Mr Howard was virtually telling people not to vote Democrat.
"It's the first time that I can recall that an Australian prime minister has engaged in US politics in such a partisan way... actually telling US citizens what side of politics they should vote for," he said.
"It's most inappropriate, it demeans the Australia-US alliance to suggest its a relationship between political parties rather than an enduring relationship between two people."
Mr Howard's comments also suggest he anticipates Australian troops will remain in Iraq well into 2008.
He has repeatedly vowed to stay the course with the coalition forces in Iraq and predicted there was no way the US could withdraw in a little over a year.
"There's no way by March 2008, which is a little over a year from now, everything will have been stabilised so that the US can get out in March 2008," Mr Howard said.
"And, if the US is defeated in Iraq, the hope of ever getting a Palestinian settlement will be gone."
Opposition Leader Kevin Rudd indicated that if Labor won government, the troop rotation in place at that time was likely to be the last.
However, he would not give a definitive timetable for withdrawal.
"What we would do with the US is consult with them... about our removal of the Australian force on the ground," Mr Rudd told the Ten Network.
He pledged that Australia, under his leadership, would maintain its security detachment of around 110 personnel guarding the Australian embassy in Baghdad.
It would also provide some form of security assistance to the Iraqis.
Mr Rudd indicated that other troops would only remain in Iraq for up to six months at most after a Labor victory.
"Rotations of troops are normally in six-month cycles, (so it) depends on where you are in that cycle," he said.
"All I'm saying is we'll be taking those troops out of there but we'll do so in close consultation with our US ally."
Austrailian President John Howard
launches attack on Barack Obama</font size><font size="4">
Says victory for Barack Obama would just encourage
terrorists to estabilise and destroy Iraq</font size></center>
Sunday Herald
By Sandra O'Malley
February 11, 2007 06:37pm
Melbourne, Australia
PRIME Minister John Howard has launched a broadside against US presidential hopeful Barack Obama, warning his victory could destroy Iraq and prospects for peace in the Middle East.
Mr Howard's stinging attack against the popular Democrat, who formally launched his bid for the Democratic candidacy overnight, also appears to commit Australian troops to staying in Iraq well into 2008.
Only days after saying Australia's alliance with the US was about more than his personal friendship with US President George W Bush, Mr Howard warned that an Obama victory would be a boost for the terrorists.
The man who wants to be the first black US president has pledged to withdraw US troops from Iraq by March 2008, a timetable Mr Howard believes is dangerous.
"I think that would just encourage those who wanted completely to destabilise and destroy Iraq, and create chaos and victory for the terrorists to hang on and hope for (an) Obama victory," Mr Howard told the Nine Network.
"If I was running al-Qaeda in Iraq, I would put a circle around March 2008, and pray, as many times as possible, for a victory not only for Obama, but also for the Democrats."
Labor described Mr Howard's attack against Senator Obama as unprecedented.
Opposition foreign affairs spokesman Robert McClelland said Mr Howard was virtually telling people not to vote Democrat.
"It's the first time that I can recall that an Australian prime minister has engaged in US politics in such a partisan way... actually telling US citizens what side of politics they should vote for," he said.
"It's most inappropriate, it demeans the Australia-US alliance to suggest its a relationship between political parties rather than an enduring relationship between two people."
Mr Howard's comments also suggest he anticipates Australian troops will remain in Iraq well into 2008.
He has repeatedly vowed to stay the course with the coalition forces in Iraq and predicted there was no way the US could withdraw in a little over a year.
"There's no way by March 2008, which is a little over a year from now, everything will have been stabilised so that the US can get out in March 2008," Mr Howard said.
"And, if the US is defeated in Iraq, the hope of ever getting a Palestinian settlement will be gone."
Opposition Leader Kevin Rudd indicated that if Labor won government, the troop rotation in place at that time was likely to be the last.
However, he would not give a definitive timetable for withdrawal.
"What we would do with the US is consult with them... about our removal of the Australian force on the ground," Mr Rudd told the Ten Network.
He pledged that Australia, under his leadership, would maintain its security detachment of around 110 personnel guarding the Australian embassy in Baghdad.
It would also provide some form of security assistance to the Iraqis.
Mr Rudd indicated that other troops would only remain in Iraq for up to six months at most after a Labor victory.
"Rotations of troops are normally in six-month cycles, (so it) depends on where you are in that cycle," he said.
"All I'm saying is we'll be taking those troops out of there but we'll do so in close consultation with our US ally."