Free Republic

KANDAHAR, AFGHANISTAN -- Canadian soldiers should join local forces fighting Taliban insurgents inside Pakistan, Defence Minister Gordon O'Connor says, making a tentative first attempt at raising the explosive issue of foreign troops trespassing on Pakistani territory. Mr. O'Connor held meetings with several military and intelligence officials in Islamabad yesterday in which he urged his counterparts to step up their actions against the insurgents who emerge from hideouts in Pakistan to attack Canadian troops in southern Afghanistan. "Among other things, I suggested that some Pakistan officers be stationed with our troops in Kandahar and Canadian troops be stationed on the Pakistan...

THE Howard Government would go to war with Iraq without the support of the Australian people, Defence Minister Robert Hill said yesterday. Using some of the strongest language yet on a possible war with Iraq, Senator Hill said a "line has been drawn in the sand" and action could be taken within weeks. "Obviously, if it gets to armed conflict and the Australian Government determines we need to be a part to safeguard Australians then we would like the support of the whole community," Senator Hill told ABC Radio. "The defence force obviously would like the support of the whole...

German Defense Minister, Peter Struck meets his American counterpart on Friday in a further attempt to mend poisoned U.S.-German relations. After being snubbed by U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld at a NATO meeting in September, German defense minister Peter Struck flew to America on Friday to meet with his American counterpart. Hot on the heels of German Foreign Minister Joscka Fischer, who met last week with U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell, the meeting is being billed as a further attempt by Germany to mend its strained relations with the United States. Fischer maintained last week that despite current problems...

TEHRAN, Oct 30 (AFP) - Iran must prepare itself to face a US attack, the Islamic republic's defence minister said Wednesday, accusing Washington of "seeking to reorganise the region". "We have to be prepared for the hypothesis of an American attack (against Iran), and reinforce our unity and avoid any divisive action," Rear-Admiral Ali Shamkhani told the student news agency ISNA. "The US government wants to reorganise the region and as a consequence Iran could constitute a target," he said. "If the Americans are in both Afghanistan and Iraq, this represents a significant challenge," he added. Only the previous day,...

BERLIN (AP) — Ten weeks before national elections, Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder fired his defense minister Thursday following reports he took $72,000 in royalties from a public relations adviser. In a terse statement, Schroeder said that ``there is no longer a basis for working together in government'' with Rudolf Scharping, who held the job since Schroeder won office in 1998. ``I will ask the federal president to dismiss Rudolf Scharping from his functions as defense minister,'' Schroeder said. Schroeder is in a tough re-election campaign against conservative Bavarian Gov. Edmund Stoiber who said Scharping's ouster showed the weakness of the Social...