On Apr 18, 8:05 pm, OzOne wrote:
I'd hate to be losing...

At least all Ozzers are not prone to become losers.

Downer defends Australia's stand on Iraq



A victory in Iraq would be a victory against terrorism regardless of
what the British High Commissioner to Australia claims, Foreign
Minister Alexander Downer says.


In an address to the National Press Club on Wednesday diplomat Helen
Liddell said that Iraq was never seen as part of the campaign termed
the "war against terror".


But Mr Downer on Thursday said that was not the opinion held by
British Prime Minister Tony Blair.


"I don't think anyone would deny Tony Blair's very strongly held
views, as the prime minister of Britain, about the importance of
defeating the terrorists in Iraq," Mr Downer told ABC Radio.


"There is absolutely no doubt, I don't think many strategists would
disagree with this, that if there was a western coalition US defeat in
Iraq it would be a massive victory to terrorists, in particular to al-
Qaeda."


The foreign minister said the importance of defeating terrorism was
reinforced overnight when nearly 200 people in Baghdad died in a
series of car bombs.


The overnight attacks were the deadliest in the city since US and
Iraqi forces launched a security crackdown aimed at halting the
country's slide into civil war.


But Mr Downer denied claims that the blasts were caused by Sunni
insurgents.


"That is a massive simplification, and I don't agree with you by the
way, and I have a good deal of experience on this issue and a good
deal of information," Mr Downer said.


"Most suicide bombings, I don't know in this particular case, but most
suicide bombings ... from terrorist attacks in Iraq are conducted by
al-Qaeda or al-Qaeda related organisations."


Mr Downer said the overnight bombings just reinforced Australia's
resolve to keep working towards peace in the area.


"Every time there's a suicide bombing of this kind that we've seen
overnight it just reinforces my determination not to hand over Iraq to
people like that," he said.


Brought to you by AAP

Oz would be happy to hand it over to murderers...no problem.

Joe