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| Down Under |
| Troops will stay in Iraq: Howard |
| 2005-02-01 |
| Pulling troops out of Iraq just because the war-torn country's historic democratic elections were over would be counterproductive, Prime Minister John Howard said. Mr Howard said the larger-than-expected turnout of voters for last Sunday's poll was no reason to bring forward the withdrawal of allied troops from Iraq. He also warned that terrorists would gain comfort from any troop withdrawal. "Our military presence is obviously a lot smaller than that of the United States and the United Kingdom, but from our point of view this would be a bad time to immediately start talking about withdrawal," he told reporters in Singapore. "Now is the time to provide the reassurance. "Now there will come a time when withdrawal will be appropriate, but certainly to talk about it now, would be in my view, counterproductive." Mr Howard was in Singapore for a one-day visit which included high-level talks with his counterpart Lee Hsien Loong. On Wednesday Mr Howard will visit the tsunami-devastated province of Aceh to oversee the work of the massive relief effort under way there. His comments about troops in Iraq came as Labor admitted Australia would need to keep troops in Iraq as long as Australian diplomats faced a security threat there. Former opposition leader Mark Latham came under sustained government attack leading up to the October 9 federal election over Labor's proposal to withdraw troops by last Christmas. In the wake of democratic elections in Iraq and as new Opposition Leader Mr Beazley tries to take a strong stand on foreign policy, Labor is reassessing its position on Iraq. Opposition foreign affairs spokesman Kevin Rudd said Labor was in the process of working out how Australia could best help the Iraqi people. "In the period ahead we will, ourselves as the opposition, be consulting with the Iraqi government, the United States and the United Nations on the best way of providing practical assistance to the Iraqi people in the months ahead," he said. Mr Beazley wants the government to use its influence with the US to encourage it not to become engaged in civil war in Iraq. But he acknowledged Australia would need a troop presence as long as Australian diplomats faced security issues in Iraq. Australian diplomats have been moved to the US and Australian military headquarters, known as Camp Victory, following repeated attacks on the Australian embassy in a residential suburb in Baghdad. "(The diplomats) have to be protected ... and that of course means at least some degree of Australian troop presence will be necessary while ever they are under threat," Mr Beazley said. As it reconsiders its approach, Labor wants the government to clearly enunciate its exit strategy from Iraq. "It's time for John Howard and Alexander Downer to make absolutely plain to the Australian people ... what are the benchmarks which they believe must be met in order for there to be an Australian troop withdrawal," Mr Rudd said. Foreign Minister Alexander Downer ignored the Labor call, saying it would be a betrayal to the Iraqi people for Australia to pull out now. "I think people who think the best way ahead for Iraq is to cut and run, and for the international community now to turn its back on Iraq and hand the country over to (terrorists), ... are people who would want us to betray the Iraqi people," he said. Next article: Reveal abortion plan, Nats senator told Previous article: Howard to visit tsunami-hit Aceh |
| Posted by:God Save The World |