Iraq mission 'won't take decades', Howard says

[Doondoo]

Prime Minister John Howard says Australian troops will not stay deployed in Iraq for decades.

Mr Howard is in New Zealand and says he cannot and will not name a date for troops to be withdrawn, and believes service families understand that.

But Mr Howard says the debate is getting into the realm of the absurd when people start talking about a deployment lasting for decades.

"Well it certainly won't take decades and you know that and Mr Rudd knows that," he said.

"I think the Australian people don't deserve to have their intelligence insulted by people like Mr Rudd suggesting it's going to last decades, I think they understand it's impossible for me to pinpoint exactly when the commitment is going to end."



http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200702/s1848926.htm

[TheWatcher]

1. John Howard = Worthless Filth

The Australian people don't need to have their intelligence insulted with a Pseudo-Nazi like him running things.

Remove Him.

[lligrd]

2. Not 6 days, 6 Weeks, 6 Months, 6 Years, 6 Decades???

At least we know Howard won't last as long.

[sutz12]

3. Translation..."We haven't a fucking clue." nt

[Judi Lynn]

4. Apparently the guy hasn't taken enough time away from his drinking

to listen to American neo-con creeps yammering about how this war could be expected to drag on forever, in so many words. It's obvious to anyone with half a brain they intend to perpetuate this war endlessly, to keep harming citizens throughout the world until the entire world has surrendered and they are completely in charge.

They don't intend to return the soldiers to their homes. They'll keep finding ways to lure people into service long after the current ones finally are killed. Maybe they'll also open the idea of shorter prison sentences to convicts who agree to fight, just as they are offering citizenship to immigrants who hope they can survive long enough to return home to claim that dangled citizenship prize.

If all fails, they'll create the illusion of another Pearl Harbor, just as they've discussed in the past, and kick off a much bigger, more widely attended war, with an unlimited draftee pool, insisting anyone who won't fight is a traitor, to be prosecuted, like the people who, according to Neo-Con Frank Gaffney, dare to speak out against _Bush's war. (Gaffney claims dissidents deserve to be shot, and claims this is Abraham Lincoln's idea, which it certainly is NOT.)

[Lasher]

5. says he cannot and will not name a date

By saying troops will not stay deployed for decades (plural), isn't he saying 20 years or less? Not a very rosy prediction, but didn't he thereby set a date and then in the same breath say he wouldn't set a date?

It doesn't matter anyway. Go along with this and after two decades go by someone else will say it certainly won't last a century.

[Esra Star]

6. It was John Howard's party that got us involved in the

Vietnam debacle all those years ago. He still thinks that war was a good idea.
When the Labor party came to power in '72, the first thing they did is pull
out of that quagmire. It looks as though we will be involved in The Iraq
adventure until the progressives retake the citadel.
Hopefully that will be this year, but the voters are a fairly shallow lot.
If they manufacture some bullshit like the Tampa scare, the frightened little
rabbits may just vote the regressives back.
Then it will be another three long years. Please God, not that.

[unhappycamper]

7. Note to Mr. Howard:

If you like this occupation so much, I respectfully ask you to cough up the 48,000+ troops for the most recent escalation. I'm sure your constituents will support your decision to defend freedom and liberty over 'there.' We have enough Gold Star Families over 'here.'

[LynnTheDem]

8. So, ya calling george w. bush and condi rice liars, Howie?

And since your Senate CENSURED you for your DECEIT in involving Australia in Iraq, AGAINST the overwhelming MAJORITY of your own people, wouldn't you be better off to sit down & keep quiet, Howie?

[Javaman]

9. blair is the poodle, howard is the parrot. nt