Fed: Iraq war going very badly admits PM

AAP General News (Australia)
12-08-2006
Fed: Iraq war going very badly admits PM

By Sandra O'Malley and Max Blenkin

CANBERRA, Dec 8 AAP - Prime Minister John Howard admits the war in Iraq is going very
badly and he would like troops out as soon as possible.

But he says that will only occur when Iraqi forces can handle security themselves.

In a week when America's new defence secretary, Robert Gates, acknowledged the US was
not winning the war in Iraq, and a high level report admitted the strategy was not working,
Mr Howard finally conceded the war was going "very badly".

"Certainly things in Iraq are going very badly," he told Southern Cross Broadcasting.

However, he stood by his view that the US would not withdraw its troops prematurely
amid suggestions America could have a 2008 timetable to have their forces out.

"I would like to be out of Iraq as soon as possible, but I'm not going to make myself,
in any way, a hostage to a particular date," Mr Howard said.

"Bear in mind that (US) President (George W) Bush has not made himself hostage to a
particular date.

"He is not putting a date on it. In none of the discussions I had with him, and I had
two separate discussions with him in Vietnam, did he commit to a date.

"There will be changes in American policy, of that I'm certain ... (but) I believe
the biggest single change will be that they will require the Iraqis to do a lot more."

The government was not available to comment on reports that Australia had turned down
a request from the US that it embed its troops with Iraqi units as part of a plan to get
Iraq capable of looking after itself.

Mr Howard maintains the only plan for exit is when the Iraqis can control security
of their own country.

"The exit strategy is to go when the coalition is satisfied that the country can reasonably
look after itself," he said.

Iraq will dominate discussions when Foreign Minister Alexander Downer and Defence Minister
Brendan Nelson travel to Washington next week for the annual Australia-United States ministerial
meeting (Ausmin).

Labor is demanding Mr Howard release a definitive plan of when and how Australian troops
will be withdrawn from Iraq.

Opposition Leader Kevin Rudd said Mr Howard had dodged the question in parliament this week.

"He's still not giving us those concrete answers, that's our problem," he told the Seven Network.

Australian Democrats deputy leader Andrew Bartlett says Mr Howard's admission of failure
in the war had to lead to a withdrawal of forces.

"Mr Howard's refusal to acknowledge the obvious for months has been irresponsible,"

Senator Bartlett said.

"Now that he is accepting reality, he must show some leadership and change direction
by setting a timetable for withdrawal.

"The continuing coalition presence is doing nothing to stabilise Iraq.

"It is widely recognised that our presence with no end in sight is creating more problems
than it is worth."

AAP so/sb/evt/de

KEYWORD: IRAQ AUST NIGHTLEAD

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