Australian forces to halt combat tasks in Iraq

[Nambe]

Australian Broadcasting Corporation

The Australian forces remaining in Iraq will not be tasked for any combat from tomorrow. ---

He (Defence Minister, Robert Hill) says the 1000 Australian troops still there will perform various tasks, including protecting government officials, providing air traffic control at Baghdad airport, and helping to search for any weapons of mass destruction.

[revcarol]

1. protecting government officials? They have NO government!!

What government officials are they talking about? Oil execs? U. S. "civilian" dictators? I thought the filthy Dyncorp was protecting them.
1000 troops to do air traffic control and search for WMD's?

Methinks he is trying to get the troops out of harm's way while preserving the illusion that they are part of the coalition. Can't withdraw our troops now, can we?

[Maeve]

3. The new council, perhaps?

I think there are a few Iraqis in charge of basic services, or at least taking the blame when services aren't provided.

[leesa]

2. How could they be involved in combat when the Chimp

declared the end of combat??

[Sagan]

4. If ChimpCo can't get troops from their Australian bitches...

Then how are they going to get them from France, Russia and Germany?

[Frances]

5. This is why the 3rd can't go home

I had no idea that Australia had sent only 1000 troops.

Remember when Colin Powell said that we had 40 countries in the coalition of the willing?

Arrogance, arrogance, arrogance!

And the GOP is blaming the deficit on Democratic spending. We taxpayers are paying for Bush's war with no help from any other country because Bush's browbeating of them backfired.