[NYTr] IRAQ: Oz to Withdraw Troops - Small Nuimbers, Big Impact

[All the News That Doesn't Fit]

Agencia Cubana de Noticias (ACN) - Dec 4, 2007
http://ainch.ain.cu/mailman/listinfo/ingles


Australia Also Withdrawing from Iraq

By Nestor Núñez
AIN Special Service

In 2003, 40 nations under pressure from Washington joined the US 
invasion of Iraq. It is true, though, that of the 150,000 soldiers 
deployed in Iraq, 135, 000 are US troops making the rest of the 
contingents symbolic. For many governments it was the best way to 
satisfy Washington.  The White House could not accuse them of being bad 
allies and internally a discreet involvement was better for the public 
opinion. But over the years, the panorama has undergone important 
changes. The war that promised to be short and victorious has been 
transformed in a real nightmare. Foreign troops have suffered serious 
casualties at the hands of the increasingly stronger Iraqi resistance.  
The anti war movement has increased in a number of countries as well as 
the demand to pull the troops back home, in addition to changes in 
governments that do not favor a US military presence in Iraq. 
Consequently, soldiers from Singapore, Nicaragua, Spain, Honduras, the 
Dominican Republic, Norway, the Philippines, Thailand, New Zealand, 
Hungary, Tonga, Portugal, Moldavia, the Ukraine, Holland, Japan, 
Bulgaria and Slovakia have already been withdrawn.

There are still troops from some 19 nations in Iraq, whose 
strongest front belongs to British and Australian contingents.  And 
precisely here is the news that the newly installed government in 
Australia has also decided to withdraw its soldiers from the ancient 
Mesopotamia and break with the US occupation alliance. In effect, Prime 
Minister Kevin Rudd, who replaced the conservative and pro Washington 
John Howard, announced among his first decision t o bring his forces 
home and condemn foreign intervention. For George W. Bush this, of 
course, is not good news, much less when the issue of Iraq has reduced 
his popularity to the extreme of placing him as one of the least 
popular US heads of state in the history of the country. Rudd is also 
moving away from the White House policy in reference environmental 
issues. The recently elected Prime Minister affirmed that from now on, 
Australia will join international aspirations of ending gas emissions 
that affect global warming.  His government, said the Australian 
official, is not only willing to adhere to the Kyoto Protocol, but will 
assist and actively participate in the Bali Climate Change Summit which 
will follow up the world efforts to stop the destruction of nature and 
the environment.