"OPERATION BASTILLE": Elite Australian SAS Troops On The Move To Iraq (Breaking)

The Australian ^ | 23 January 2003 (Tomorrow) | The Australian

[AmericanInTokyo]

By John Kerin, Steve Lewis and Agencies (The Australian)

January 23, 2003

AUSTRALIAN special forces will be on the ground in the Middle East within days under a high-risk strategy that commits the country to a US-led war against Iraq in spite of growing public opposition to military conflict.

Australian Prime Minister John Howard faces growing consternation, even among sections of his Liberal Party, and a series of mass peace rallies next month after confirming yesterday that Australia would send troops and equipment to the Middle East in preparation for a war with Iraq.

(Australian) Labor (Party) and the minor parties have condemned a decision they claim pre-empts UN deliberations on whether Iraqi President Saddam Hussein has weapons of mass destruction.

But the war drums are beating ever louder. US President George W. Bush and British Prime Minister Tony Blair yesterday sought to stiffen UN resolve yesterday on the prospect of war with Iraq.

Mr Bush said Mr Hussein had been given "ample time" to disarm, adding: "This looks like a rerun of a bad movie and I'm not interested in watching it." Mr Blair said even if a second UN resolution specifically ordering force were unsuccessful, Mr Hussein still had to be dealt with.

Permanent UN Security Council members France, China and Russia, who hold veto powers to stop any resolution to go to war, oppose unilateral action against Iraq by a US-led coalition. France and Germany, which recently joined the council, are flatly opposed to any war.

French Foreign Minister Dominique de Villepin said UN inspectors must be allowed to continue their work and that nothing so far justified military action.

But Mr Hussein, who has been addressing his troops daily to bolster morale, claims the prospect of war costs him no sleep. "I rarely find it difficult to go to sleep . . . I sleep as soon as I put my head on the pillow," he told his troops. Defence Minister Robert Hill confirmed yesterday lead elements of Australia's special forces and an RAAF reconnaissance team would be sent to the Middle East.

The transport ship HMAS Kanimbla will be farewelled from Sydney by the Prime Minister this morning. Opposition Leader Simon Crean will attend, although he has condemned the Government for a "wrong decision".

"Australia should not be making any commitment in relation to the Iraq war unless authorised by the UN," Mr Crean said. "John Howard should be listening to what the Australian people want, not just what George Bush wants."

ACTU president Sharan Burrow confirmed the peak union body, along with church and community groups, would organise anti-war rallies in February to express the public's collective opposition to Australia's involvement in a Middle East conflict.

The deployment, Operation Bastille, follows a green light from cabinet on January 10 for troops, ships and fighters to be sent to the Middle East.

Members of the elite SAS will be farewelled on Friday from their base in Perth, although exactly where they will be based has not been disclosed.

An RAAF reconnaissance team will be dispatched to look after up to 14 F/A-18 Hornets, although no decision to deploy the aircraft has been made.

Senator Hill insisted yesterday the Government had not made any decision to commit military personnel to a war against Iraq, but added that "forward deployment adds to the diplomatic pressure on Saddam Hussein". "Only by maintaining the pressure – and leaving no doubt about the consequences of non-compliance – will there be a chance of a diplomatic solution," Senator Hill said.

Defence Force chief Peter Cosgrove had sought additional military support based on the experiences of Australia's troops in East Timor, the minister said. That included specialist troops to deal with the threat of weapons of mass destruction drawn from the newly established Incident Response Regiment, CH-47 trooplift helicopters, C-130 transport aircraft and a quick-reaction support force drawn from the Sydney-based 4RAR Commando Unit and a navy clearance diver team.

However, no decision to forward deploy the F/A-18s, C-130 aircraft, special forces support contingent or navy clearance diver team had been made.

[AmericanInTokyo]

General alert.

[wimpycat]

Go Aussies Go!!

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[Made In The USA]

I'd say welcome to the party and thank you for stepping up. The ostrich philosophy just doesn't cut it with the likes of Osama, Saddam, etc.

[Dog]

Go get'em Aussies!!!!!!!

[beachn4fun]

I don't think you are going to get much cooperation if you keep showing this witch! Hmm, then again, maybe you will get some liberal, democrats making pledges just by seeing their "queen" on this site. You think?

[DoctorMichael]

"This then, my lords and gentlemen, is the message which we send forth today to all states and nations, bound or free, to all the men in all the lands who care for freedom's cause. To our Allies and well-wishers in Europe, to our American friends and helpers drawing ever closer in their might across the ocean, this is the message:

Lift up your hearts, all will come right. Out of depths of sorrow and sacrifice will be born again the glory of mankind".

~Winston Churchill

[beachn4fun]

Great! Now, it is up to those of us who cannot be a part of this directly, to start praying for our leaders, military and those of our allies, that are risking life and limb to assure our countries are safe.

God Bless them All. "Everyone one of us."

[AmericanInTokyo]

Agreed.

I quite think it is having an opposite effect. I much prefer the little boy going through Dad's military memorabilia in the attic.

[LS]

God Bless Australia! The "Diggers" show their character with this. I only wish that there was some way to overcome the abuse they endured at the hands of British military commanders during WW I and the Boer War.

[wideawake]

God bless the Aussie military. May they and all the brave soldiers who will fight to liberate the Iraqi people be preserved from all harm and return to their families.

[AmericanInTokyo]

General Myers just announced a short while ago in a statement that the United States of America is now ready for WAR against Iraq. That they, US forces, can also stay in the area/rotate for several months posed to strike at any moment and that the Iraqi regime has been fully warned now.

[Centurion2000]

General Myers just announced a short while ago in a statement that the United States of America is now ready for WAR against Iraq. That they, US forces, can also stay in the area/rotate for several months posed to strike at any moment and that the Iraqi regime has been fully warned now.

Can you source this please ?

[AmericanInTokyo]

Gonna have to add some Aussie flag stickers to go along with the BRITISH ones, next to the Stars and Stripes. Maybe market an adhesive triple pack? I think all Americans should consider flying these other flags on their cars in addition to our own. I know the libs and radleftists will hate it across the land.

[AmericanInTokyo]

Yahoo (news) top story

[mikhailovich]

Aussie troops love fighting in Iraq because of the vast array of lizards and hila monsters to catch during down-time.

[goodnesswins]

DAY of SUPPORT....FLY your flags (US, a British one, Hungarian, Australian and Japanese one, too if you have them)....and put up your BUSH/CHENEY signs, (and the BIG W's on your SUV's) for the STATE of the UNION next Tuesday, Jan 28th, if you support the President, our MILITARY and the United States of America. PSST....pass it on.

[txhurl]

real-friend-bump!

[AmericanInTokyo]

Top Gen. Says U.S. Military Ready for War
1 hour, 4 minutes ago Add Top Stories - AP to My Yahoo!


By ROBERT BURNS, AP Military Writer

[AmericanInTokyo]

Its a great idea and a great movement. Your idea, which is a spark, will ignite into a Prairie Fire, IMHO. (sorry to paraphrase 'Mao', though)