"Richard Armitage is dumb, thuggish" : former Australian Prime Minister

[the Kelly Gang]

Armitage dumb, thuggish: Keating
July 8, 2004

"US Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage's claim that the Labor Party was divided over Iraq policy was thuggish and dumb, former Labor prime minister Paul Keating said today.

Mr Armitage said Opposition Leader Mark Latham's policy of withdrawing Australian troops from Iraq by Christmas had divided the ALP.
But Mr Keating denied there was any division in the party over Iraq policy and said Mr Armitage had made an unwarranted and untimely partisan intervention in the Australian political debate.

"Beating up on friendly foreign political parties is not only unsightly, it is also dumb and counter productive in the longer term," Mr Keating said in a statement to AAP.
"There is no division in the Labor Party about the value or maintenance of the US alliance nor about policy on Iraq.
***********

http://dailytelegraph.news.com.au/story.jsp?sectionid=1260&storyid=1594416

[Jim Sagle]

1. Well, duhhhh!!!!

[grytpype]

2. Wow. That is very strong language for a stateman to use.

Very strong.

There's going to be a lot of celebrating all around the world on November 2.

[struggle4progress]

3. Kudos to Mr. Keating. eom

[frylock]

4. dr. condoleeza armitage..

as glossed by Richard Ben-Veniste.