Bush warns against "disastrous" Australian Iraq withdrawal

[Barrett808]

WASHINGTON (AFP) - US President George W. Bush warned against a "disastrous" Australian troop withdrawal from Iraq, as visiting Australian Prime Minister John Howard agreed not to show "any weakness" there.

"It is the worst time imaginable for allies to be showing any weakness in relation to the pursuit of our goals in Iraq," Howard said as he stood shoulder-to-shoulder with the president in the White House Rose Garden.

Basking in that show of support, Bush promised his guest a "full accounting" of the Iraq prison abuse scandal and a probe into any mistreatment of two Australians held as suspected terrorists at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

In response to a question, Bush sharply assailed fiery Australian opposition leader Mark Lathan's controversial pledge to withdraw Australian troops from Iraq by Christmas if his Labor Party wins elections due for later this year.

"That would be disastrous. It would be a disastrous decision for the leader of a great country like Australia to say that 'we're pulling out,'" Bush said. "It would embolden the enemy."

"It would dispirit those who love freedom in Iraq. It would say that the Australian government doesn't see the hope of a free and democratic society leading to a peaceful world," said Bush.

(more)

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/afp/20040603/ts_afp/us_australia_iraq&cid=1503&ncid=1480

[Trajan]

1. Disastrous to Bush, that is ....

[saigon68]

2. disasterous for theUNELECTED war criminal

GOOD FOR THE TROOPS--- THEY WILL LIVE AND NOT BE KILLED FOR HALLIBURTON'S PROFITS.

[othermeans]

3. Put another Bush on the barbee! nt

[raifield]

4. A peaceful world?

Hello? You're the one who attacked another country! Hell, two of them actually. Nice way to start a "peaceful world": attacking people.

That makes a lot of sense.

[UpInArms]

12. "they started it when they hit us back!"

cried the AWOL chimpanzee!

(stealing Saigon's line :) )

[Dover]

5. But Howy has a disaster at home if he DOES continue to prop up Bushco

Decisions...decisions.

[Gloria]

6. Actually, there's been a turnaround in the polls...Howard is now

ahead in the election polls....

[Dover]

7. Australia must use the same polling companies that we use in the USA!

Very reliable too !;-)

[the Kelly Gang]

11. that was a 'Newspoll'..owned by Rupert Murdoch

[Spazito]

8. Man, having a political "tin ear" would be an understatement...

to describe bush, injecting himself into the Australian election won't do his lapdog Howard ANY favors, what an idiot!

[the Kelly Gang]

9. Latham described Howard in Parlaiment as a 'Bush arselicker

and he got that right.

as there are only 1500 Aussie troops there it would make little difference..except to Bush

[cliss]

10. What the hell is he talking about?

I have read several times that England will pull out its troops on June 30. Not because they disagree with Bush, but because the royal funding has dried up. They've known this for a long time.

I believe Poland is in the same situation; that their money is running out. I think other countries have used this alibi, as well. (maybe the US can do a little bribing?)

[UpInArms]

13. just have them send the bill

to our undreamed of and unborn great-grandchildren.

[Kool Kitty]

14. Bush must have been misquoted.

After all, I have heard Rummy and Rice and Powell say we have a HUGE coalition. The loss of a few soldiers from Australia could hardly affect our HUGE coalition, could it? :eyes: