Posted on 02/11/2007 5:51:17 PM PST by naturalman1975
THE Prime Minister has fired another salvo in his growing war of words with US presidential hopeful Barack Obama, saying the senator had dodged his criticism of his Iraq withdrawal plan.
Senator Obama today challenged John Howard to commit another 20,000 Australian troops to Iraq after the Prime Minister said his call to bring American troops home by March 2008 would be a victory for al Qaeda in Iraq, who would be hoping for a Democrat win in next year's presidential election.
The US senator accused Mr Howard of "empty rhetoric" in his criticism of his stand, as Australia has committed only a fraction of the number of troops the US military has sent to Iraq.
The Federal Opposition has said Mr Howard is letting his personal friendship with US President George W. Bush cloud his judgment and should apoligise.
But far from backing down from the developing spat, Mr Howard has said today that Senator Obama's response missed the point of his criticism.
"I think the most interesting thing about (Senator Obama's comments) is that it didn't really address the substance of the issue," Mr Howard has said on ABC Radio.
(Excerpt) Read more at news.com.au ...
Answer. 0.
And, I hasten to add, there's no reason it should have committed any. And the US has provided us with other types of support in that war.
The War on Terror is not just about Iraq and Afghanistan. It's wider than that. The reason Australia has only committed a small, specialised force - not a token force - we did commit a mere token back in 1991 (I was part of it) - but a specialised force with a specialised function - is because the bulk of our troops are committed to other theatres of this war.
But Howard's comments, as I understand, were about Iraq.
What did Cornyn say? Is there a thread/transcript? Who watches CNN? Even on my worst day...
Oh come on!!
You must realize that he's Hillary's next butt boy!
Jack Reed, the Moron from RI on FOX News Sunday today thinks he is, but just like Junior High School .
She's going to spit his ass out the door and demand that the School Star (Barack Hussein Obama) become her Prom Date in late "07".
"Empty Rhetoric"-yeah that coming from an empty suit-Obama. PM Howard-"doing the job Americans (media) wont do"
Well, you may be right, but I sure think she's hating it. She's on the sidelines. She's not even in the game. Meanwhile, Barack is out there takin' on the chickenhawks (if you look at it thru dem eyes, which u must to get this right). He's putting pressure on Australia. Amazing. I believe Hillary hates it. But there's so much time before primaries. It's not a huge deal. In the short term, a big win for Obama.
I think Howard would rather he didn't get the nomination than deal with him once he did. Now, I'm not saying that is necessarily the right approach - maybe it would be better to deny Obama the oxygen of publicity - but I am just pointing out that Howard's aim and intention and duty is not to help support George W. Bush and the Republican Party.
John Howard's duty is to act at all times in the best interests of the Commonwealth of Australia. Whether that helps George W. Bush, or not.
Don't mistake an alliance for servitude.
In general terms, there's no conflict between these issues. But where there might be, Howard will come down on the side of Australia's best interest, every single time.
That is his job.
And he will always speak up when he feels he has a duty to do so in the best interests of the Commonwealth of Australia.
" OMG are you telling me they US Demos send people Down under "
Kerry's sister Diana was in Australia campaigning for Kerry at the end of September 2004.
Apparently, there are 100,000 US citizens living in Australia.
The Australian elections were in October and PM John Howard was running for reelection.
Just before the elections in Australia, Diana Kerry gave an interview to an Australian paper where she claimed that Howard,
by allying with the US in Iraq , had made Australians more prone to terror attacks.
" Diana Kerry, the younger sister of the Democratic presidential candidate, has expressed concern for the safety of Australians facing an increased terrorism threat brought on by the U.S.-led intervention in Iraq."
She cited the Bali nightclub bombings as an example of Al Queda retaliation against the Aussies for joining the US in Iraq.
But, she was wrong.
The Bali bombings happened six months before the Iraq war began.
She went on to describe the US as an outlaw nation that violated international law and had no allies .
A couple of thoughts on this...first, yes, it's the oxygen of publicity, but it's much more. It's the oxygen of STATESMANSHIP. By engaging Obama directly, John Howard in effect gives Obama equal stature well before he's earned it. I can't imagine how someone so accomplished could do something so foolish....second, if he doesn't want Obama to get the nomination, he ought to simply pipe down. Is John Howard going to persuade DEM primary voters?? Yeah, he'll convince them to do the opposite of whatever he says. last...i hate to say it, and maybe this is what cornyn said, i didnt hear, but really, if he's concerned about who wins our election, he can come here, become a citizen and vote, or STFU.
Is Osama Obama aware that Australia's population is about 1/10th that of the US? CNN has been yapping all day about how Howard was picking on their hero.
It's possible. A women/black ticket is asking a lot, though. They might try it. We'll see.
So what's 10% of 160,000?
So freedom of speech only applies to Americans, I guess?
John Howard, as Prime Minister of Australia will speak out as he chooses to on ANY issue of relevance and interest to the Commonwealth of Australia.
The day American politicians stop commenting on any other country, that might change.
But we deal with criticism from America and Americans every single day.
There's no reason we shouldn't.
But there's also no reason for Americans to think they shouldn't have to.
Obama in office, would be a bad thing for Australia.
Yes, that decision is ultimately up to the American people, and if American voters - Democrats or Republicans - choose to utterly ignore John Howard's views, or even if his views make them do exactly the opposite of what they might have otherwise done - then that is their right.
Howard doesn't avoid saying things that are electorally unpopular even when his own election is at stake.
You are being way too Statist or your own version of Patriotic. We cannot live in a Vacuum, the Prime Minister has a country of Millions of Souls and you are worrying about incidentals.
OH really MAN no wonder why PM Howard is not amused
And comparatively we do have less troops in Iraq than the US per capita.
But we also have troops in places the US doesn't that are also part of this war on terror.
When the US puts a proportional number of US troops compared to Australian into East Timor and the Solomon Islands, Obama might start to have a point.
Of course, doing that would be utterly counterproductive and strategically moronic.
Could be but it's nice to know that someone outside our country speaks the truth.
Show me one example of GWB commenting directly, by name, on the positions of a candidate for election in another country, a full year before a single vote is cast, and I'll concede the point.
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