Fed: PM deprives Labor of another stoush on Iraq

AAP General News (Australia)
02-15-2007
Fed: PM deprives Labor of another stoush on Iraq

CANBERRA, Feb 15 AAP - Prime Minister John Howard flies to New Zealand this morning
for a whistlestop trans-Tasman visit - depriving Labor of a final opportunity this week
to question him over Iraq.

Mr Howard and Opposition Leader Kevin Rudd have locked horns over Australia's policy
in Iraq during every question time this week.

But a commitment to annual trans-Tasman talks means Mr Howard will miss the final skirmish
of the parliamentary week.

Parliament will then break for a week before returning on February 26.

Mr Howard's fortunes have ebbed and flowed over the week after he launched an unexpected
attack against US presidential hopeful Barack Obama at the weekend over his policy of
withdrawing US troops from Iraq by March 2008.

The Obama row has turned into an increasingly personal debate between Mr Howard and
Mr Rudd over Australia's role in Iraq.

A defiant Mr Howard yesterday refused to admit the war in Iraq had been a mistake.

Mr Rudd repeatedly challenged Mr Howard to outline his exit strategy for Australian
troops, pledging that a Labor government would bring the soldiers home by the middle of
next year.

Mr Howard and Foreign Minister Alexander Downer accused Mr Rudd of wanting the United
States to surrender in Iraq, and mocked him for saying that the consequences for the US
of losing the war would be "bad".

And Mr Howard accused Mr Rudd of lacking courage, saying that deep down Mr Rudd knew
he was right.

But the prime minister didn't have it all his own way, admitting he could not guarantee
that the US would not begin its own staged withdrawal if President George W Bush's "surge"

strategy of sending an extra 20,000 troops did not work.

AAP so/jt/de

KEYWORD: IRAQ AUST DAYLEAD

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