US steps up Latham attack (Australia)

[CShine]

The Bush administration has intensified its attack on Mark Latham, widening the criticism beyond the pullout strategy on Iraq to question Labor's broader approach to the US alliance. US Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage told The Australian yesterday that he had been taken aback by Mr Latham's comments on the alliance and insisted that Australia could not pick and choose in its relationship with the US.

"Mr Latham said he looked to the day that a Labor government could work with the US to further strengthen intelligence, strategic and cultural relations," he said. "Apparently economic and political relations were not so important. Now, you either have a full-up relationship or you don't."

Echoing George W.Bush, he also criticised Mr Latham's plan to withdraw troops from Iraq by Christmas, saying it would be "debilitating to pull away at the 10th or 11th hour."

Mr Armitage's critique increases the tensions between the Republican White House and the Labor leader, whose Iraq policy was slammed by the US President as a "disastrous decision" that would "embolden the enemy". After the Bush attack, Mr Latham outlined several policy areas linked to the US that were failing the nation, including that Australia had been dragged into an unnecessary war that had diverted resources away from the fight against terror and had contributed to greater instability in the Middle East and, consequently, higher petrol prices.

http://www.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,4057,9787998%255E401,00.html