The Bush League of Nations Blog
This is the progressive blog of Jim Swanson, author of "The Bush League of Nations." His focus is to set the record straight regarding the crimes and misdeeds of President George Bush, Vice President Dick Cheney, and the Republican Party (GOP), and to help provide a way forward for America.
"Certainty of death. Small chance of success. What are we waiting for?"—Gimli, Lord of the Rings
Thursday, June 5, 2008
Australia Quits the Bush League of Nations in Iraq
“Another Shrimp Off the Barbie”
The Bush regime’s diminutive sham “Coalition of the Willing” in Iraq got even slimmer when Australia ended combat operations there on June 1. The withdrawal of Australia’s 550 combat troops—who were engaged in training Iraqis, not combat—fulfilled a central campaign promise of Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, who was swept into power last November on the strength of that promise, as well as his promise to ratify the Kyoto Protocol.
A small Australian force remains in Iraq to provide security and headquarters liaison and to protect diplomats. Australia, outside the coalition, also remains committed to helping Iraq recover and develop, primarily through $165 million in aid focused on agricultural development.
Fortunately, Australia remains committed to combat operations in Afghanistan, where it has 1,000 troops. Unfortunately, the troops withdrawn from Iraq will not be reassigned to Afghanistan, where they are needed.
Former Prime Minister John Howard in 2003 unilaterally committed Australia to the Iraq invasion, notwithstanding the opposition of 75% of Australians. Many Australians called the coalition the “Coalition of the Silly.”
Howard’s fall from power left George W. Bush as the only significant coalition leader still on his hobbyhorse in Iraq.
No Australian soldier was killed in combat in Iraq, although there were two fatalities, one in 2005 and one in 2006.
Australia’s ratification of the Kyoto Protocol—accomplished by Rudd as his first official act in office—leaves the United States isolated as the only large developed nation that has not ratified this global initiative to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Kazakhstan is the only other signatory nation not to have ratified Kyoto.
The Bush regime’s diminutive sham “Coalition of the Willing” in Iraq got even slimmer when Australia ended combat operations there on June 1. The withdrawal of Australia’s 550 combat troops—who were engaged in training Iraqis, not combat—fulfilled a central campaign promise of Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, who was swept into power last November on the strength of that promise, as well as his promise to ratify the Kyoto Protocol.
A small Australian force remains in Iraq to provide security and headquarters liaison and to protect diplomats. Australia, outside the coalition, also remains committed to helping Iraq recover and develop, primarily through $165 million in aid focused on agricultural development.
Fortunately, Australia remains committed to combat operations in Afghanistan, where it has 1,000 troops. Unfortunately, the troops withdrawn from Iraq will not be reassigned to Afghanistan, where they are needed.
Former Prime Minister John Howard in 2003 unilaterally committed Australia to the Iraq invasion, notwithstanding the opposition of 75% of Australians. Many Australians called the coalition the “Coalition of the Silly.”
Howard’s fall from power left George W. Bush as the only significant coalition leader still on his hobbyhorse in Iraq.
No Australian soldier was killed in combat in Iraq, although there were two fatalities, one in 2005 and one in 2006.
Australia’s ratification of the Kyoto Protocol—accomplished by Rudd as his first official act in office—leaves the United States isolated as the only large developed nation that has not ratified this global initiative to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Kazakhstan is the only other signatory nation not to have ratified Kyoto.
# posted by jswanson @ 11:15 AM 
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