Free Republic

AUSTRALIA'S sailors returning from the war against Iraq received a rousing welcome home in Fremantle yesterday. Thousands of people lined the entrance to Fremantle Harbour and the docks to greet the 600 sailors from the frigates HMAS Anzac and HMAS Darwin, who had been away from home for seven months. As the warships berthed there were loud cheers, cries of "I love you Daddy", Aussie flags, green and gold balloons and welcome-home placards. A stirring rendition of I am, You are, We are Australian, sung by Able Seaman Tracey Burke, a RAN musician, brought tears to the eyes of sailors...

A TEAM of Australian special forces have taken out two of Saddam Hussein's command and control centres and killed some of his most elite soldiers, it was revealed today. The 500-strong Australian Special Forces Task Group includes commandos, specialist troops trained to deal with weapons of mass destruction, Chinook CH-47 helicopters and an SAS squadron operating deep inside Iraq. They were flown to a forward base by C130 Hercules transporters and have already fought groups from Saddam's Special Security Organisation and the Iraqi Intelligence Service. It is understood that Iraqi command and control centres for ballistic missile systems and anti-special...