'Iraq attacks show futility'
07/04/2004 13:16  - (SA)  

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Australian opposition falters Labour's Iraq pullout 'risky' 'Maverick' upsets Aus politics Latham leads Aussie opposition

Sydney - Australian opposition leader Mark Latham said on Tuesday that recent attacks on coalition forces in Iraq had reinforced his determination to withdraw troops by Christmas if his Labour Party wins office later this year.

Latham reaffirmed the controversial commitment, which has dented his high standing in opinion polls, saying Australia's defence resources would be better deployed fighting terrorism closer to home.

Latham said attacks on coalition forces by radical Shi'ite militiamen and Sunni insurgents in the past week showed the US-led campaign had become mired in religious and ethnic tensions within Iraq that had nothing to do with the war on terrorism.

Latham questioned whether it was in Australia's interests to have forces in Iraq trying to manage internal tensions when it could be pursuing the "real" war on terrorism.

"We argued in the first instance that the war on Iraq wasn't a legitimate part of the war against terror, there were bigger priorities," said in a speech outlining his foreign policy approach ahead of an election expected this year.

"Given the developments over the past week, I would have thought the position we've taken about an exit strategy has been strengthened.

"We don't see the long-term, indefinite deployment of management of those tensions in that country as the priority for where Australia should have its defence resources."

'Adventurism'

Latham said instead of "adventurism" in Iraq, Australia should use its forces to "hunt down (Osama) bin Laden, to break up al-Qaeda, to smash the networks of terrorism activity in South-East Asia".

Prime Minister John Howard has condemned Latham's pledge as reckless policy on the run, that would damage the US alliance and weaken efforts to rebuild Iraq.

Howard has vowed to keep Australian troops in Iraq "until the job is done" but Latham said it was unclear whether the prime minister was talking about finding weapons of mass destruction, rebuilding Iraq or handing over power to an Iraqi administration.

"Mr Howard says he will stay until the job is done, but he never tells the Australian people what the job is," he said.

Australia has about 850 defence personnel in and around Iraq, down from two thousand last year when it joined the US-led invasion.

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