Vladislav
15th October 2006, 14:23
The government is sticking by its commitment to stay in Iraq despite a growing belief the war is boosting terrorism worldwide.
Just days after a British military chief warned that coalition troops in Iraq were exacerbating security problems, former Australian Defence Force chief Peter Cosgrove acknowledged the war was inspiring the jihadist movement.
"If people say that here has been an energising of the jihadist movement through the protracted war in Iraq - well that's pretty obvious," General Cosgrove reportedly said.
His admission is at odds with his position after the 2004 Madrid train bombings, when he disputed comments from Australian Federal Police (AFP) chief Mick Keelty that the attack was linked to the Iraq war.
Opponents of the war have also seized on comments by Britain's army chief, who believes his country's troops should pull out of Iraq because they are exacerbating the problem.
While unaware of General Cosgrove's comments, Defence Minister Brendan Nelson rejected calls for Australian troops to leave Iraq.
Dr Nelson said Australia would not "cut and run".
"All I can say to you is that Osama bin Laden and the key terrorists around the world consider Iraq, and the terrorists winning in Iraq, to be absolutely critical to their cause," he told Sky News.
Prime Minister John Howard agrees.
"If we get out of Iraq there will be an enormous victory for the terrorists," he told the Nine Network.
Dr Nelson says Australian troops won't be there any longer than necessary.
"Australia will remain in Iraq not a day longer than we have to be there but we remain there until the democratically elected Iraqi government says that it believes that it is in a position to manage and support its own affairs," Dr Nelson said.
Mr Howard said the troops would stay until the Iraqis can look after themselves.
"We'll get out of Iraq when we've done our job and when we've seen a situation where the Iraqis can reasonably look after themselves. That and only then when that occurs is the time to consider going," he said.
He refused to put a timeline on withdrawal.
"It's driven by events not by dates," Mr Howard said.
"It's totally irresponsible to say by a particular date no matter what happens I'm going to withdraw troops or commit troops.
"You have to look at the circumstances and I'm not satisfied now and I don't know when I will be satisfied as to precisely when will be the right time to withdraw Australian troops."
Labor leader Kim Beazley renewed his call for Mr Howard to explain to the nation why Australia is still in Iraq in the face of suggestions coalition troops are making the situation worse.
"General Cosgrove, Commissioner Keelty and many others, including the chief of the British defence forces, now make the point that the war in Iraq has made us less safe in the struggle with fundamentalist terror - less safe," Mr Beazley told journalists.
"It's something the Labor Party said was the likely outcome of that war for a very long period of time, and John Howard owes the Australian people an explanation for what he's done.
"Better still, he owes the Australian defence forces and the rest of us a withdrawal from the situation in Iraq and a concentration on our region."
Fuck Howards an idiot. His stupidity never stops.
http://www.smh.com.au/news/world/australia...0850810120.html (http://www.smh.com.au/news/world/australia-will-not-cut-and-run-from-iraq-nelson/2006/10/15/1160850810120.html)
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Nelson defends army plan
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October 15, 2006 - 2:15PM
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* The 'try before you buy' defence recruitment drive
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A scheme encouraging school leavers to spend a year in the army is not a step towards conscription, Defence Minister Brendan Nelson says.
Dr Nelson has unveiled plans to persuade high school graduates considering a gap year to join the defence force instead of going backpacking or volunteering abroad.
The minister said the government would offer up to 1000 places in the army under the so-called "try before you buy" program.
The package will also contain initiatives to encourage those who take up the offer to return to the military within five years, but Dr Nelson would not detail those incentives today.
He said the move was not a shift back toward conscription or national service.
"The government has absolutely no intention at all of reintroducing national service or conscription," he told reporters.
"It would be extremely divisive in Australia, there would be a great fault line through Australian society.
"The only circumstance under which any government would seriously entertain national service or conscription is if there was a direct, immediate and credible military threat to Australia."
Dr Nelson said the gap year program was another way of boosting recruitment, which he acknowledged was "constipated".
The ADF was currently recruiting 7500 people each year but needed about 8500, he said.
Defence lobby group, the Australia Defence Association, wants the government to consider waiving HECS fees if the program is eventually expanded.
The minister said he would not rule that out, as there were already HECS waivers for ADF recruits studying at university.
"Everything is on the table except national service or conscription," Dr Nelson said.
"One of the many options we can look at is giving financial incentives for further study and HECS is obviously one of those variables."
Dr Nelson said the gap program would "complete the loop".
"We have defence cadets, we have a gap year program for people to complete one year in the Australian defence force, our regular service and of course our reservists," he said.
"This is something that has got to be great for young people, good for defence, and that means it's good for Australia."
The minister will release a full package of measures to boost recruitment and retention in the ADF in the next few months.
The proposal will not solve the problems of recruitment and "overstretching" within the Australian Army, Opposition Leader Kim Beazley said today.
Mr Beazley said he was not opposed in principle to the government's plan to encourage school leavers to join the defence forces for a year, which was similar to the Labor Party's old ready reserve program.
But he warned people to be wary it doesn't lead to the introduction of "full-scale national service".
"I'd watch it very carefully to see that it's something that actually is the first stage of introducing the Labor Party's old scheme, as opposed to the first stage of introducing John Howard's old scheme when he came into politics with conscription," Mr Beazley told journalists outside the ALP State Conference in Adelaide.
Mr Beazley said the proposal was a "reflection of how overstretched the army has become - and it's not a simple fix for that".
http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/nelson...0850800800.html (http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/nelson-defends-army-plan/2006/10/15/1160850800800.html)
Just days after a British military chief warned that coalition troops in Iraq were exacerbating security problems, former Australian Defence Force chief Peter Cosgrove acknowledged the war was inspiring the jihadist movement.
"If people say that here has been an energising of the jihadist movement through the protracted war in Iraq - well that's pretty obvious," General Cosgrove reportedly said.
His admission is at odds with his position after the 2004 Madrid train bombings, when he disputed comments from Australian Federal Police (AFP) chief Mick Keelty that the attack was linked to the Iraq war.
Opponents of the war have also seized on comments by Britain's army chief, who believes his country's troops should pull out of Iraq because they are exacerbating the problem.
While unaware of General Cosgrove's comments, Defence Minister Brendan Nelson rejected calls for Australian troops to leave Iraq.
Dr Nelson said Australia would not "cut and run".
"All I can say to you is that Osama bin Laden and the key terrorists around the world consider Iraq, and the terrorists winning in Iraq, to be absolutely critical to their cause," he told Sky News.
Prime Minister John Howard agrees.
"If we get out of Iraq there will be an enormous victory for the terrorists," he told the Nine Network.
Dr Nelson says Australian troops won't be there any longer than necessary.
"Australia will remain in Iraq not a day longer than we have to be there but we remain there until the democratically elected Iraqi government says that it believes that it is in a position to manage and support its own affairs," Dr Nelson said.
Mr Howard said the troops would stay until the Iraqis can look after themselves.
"We'll get out of Iraq when we've done our job and when we've seen a situation where the Iraqis can reasonably look after themselves. That and only then when that occurs is the time to consider going," he said.
He refused to put a timeline on withdrawal.
"It's driven by events not by dates," Mr Howard said.
"It's totally irresponsible to say by a particular date no matter what happens I'm going to withdraw troops or commit troops.
"You have to look at the circumstances and I'm not satisfied now and I don't know when I will be satisfied as to precisely when will be the right time to withdraw Australian troops."
Labor leader Kim Beazley renewed his call for Mr Howard to explain to the nation why Australia is still in Iraq in the face of suggestions coalition troops are making the situation worse.
"General Cosgrove, Commissioner Keelty and many others, including the chief of the British defence forces, now make the point that the war in Iraq has made us less safe in the struggle with fundamentalist terror - less safe," Mr Beazley told journalists.
"It's something the Labor Party said was the likely outcome of that war for a very long period of time, and John Howard owes the Australian people an explanation for what he's done.
"Better still, he owes the Australian defence forces and the rest of us a withdrawal from the situation in Iraq and a concentration on our region."
Fuck Howards an idiot. His stupidity never stops.
http://www.smh.com.au/news/world/australia...0850810120.html (http://www.smh.com.au/news/world/australia-will-not-cut-and-run-from-iraq-nelson/2006/10/15/1160850810120.html)
Related news:
Nelson defends army plan
*
* Normal font
* Large font
October 15, 2006 - 2:15PM
Latest related coverage
* Nelson denies Iraq division
* The 'try before you buy' defence recruitment drive
AdvertisementAdvertisement
A scheme encouraging school leavers to spend a year in the army is not a step towards conscription, Defence Minister Brendan Nelson says.
Dr Nelson has unveiled plans to persuade high school graduates considering a gap year to join the defence force instead of going backpacking or volunteering abroad.
The minister said the government would offer up to 1000 places in the army under the so-called "try before you buy" program.
The package will also contain initiatives to encourage those who take up the offer to return to the military within five years, but Dr Nelson would not detail those incentives today.
He said the move was not a shift back toward conscription or national service.
"The government has absolutely no intention at all of reintroducing national service or conscription," he told reporters.
"It would be extremely divisive in Australia, there would be a great fault line through Australian society.
"The only circumstance under which any government would seriously entertain national service or conscription is if there was a direct, immediate and credible military threat to Australia."
Dr Nelson said the gap year program was another way of boosting recruitment, which he acknowledged was "constipated".
The ADF was currently recruiting 7500 people each year but needed about 8500, he said.
Defence lobby group, the Australia Defence Association, wants the government to consider waiving HECS fees if the program is eventually expanded.
The minister said he would not rule that out, as there were already HECS waivers for ADF recruits studying at university.
"Everything is on the table except national service or conscription," Dr Nelson said.
"One of the many options we can look at is giving financial incentives for further study and HECS is obviously one of those variables."
Dr Nelson said the gap program would "complete the loop".
"We have defence cadets, we have a gap year program for people to complete one year in the Australian defence force, our regular service and of course our reservists," he said.
"This is something that has got to be great for young people, good for defence, and that means it's good for Australia."
The minister will release a full package of measures to boost recruitment and retention in the ADF in the next few months.
The proposal will not solve the problems of recruitment and "overstretching" within the Australian Army, Opposition Leader Kim Beazley said today.
Mr Beazley said he was not opposed in principle to the government's plan to encourage school leavers to join the defence forces for a year, which was similar to the Labor Party's old ready reserve program.
But he warned people to be wary it doesn't lead to the introduction of "full-scale national service".
"I'd watch it very carefully to see that it's something that actually is the first stage of introducing the Labor Party's old scheme, as opposed to the first stage of introducing John Howard's old scheme when he came into politics with conscription," Mr Beazley told journalists outside the ALP State Conference in Adelaide.
Mr Beazley said the proposal was a "reflection of how overstretched the army has become - and it's not a simple fix for that".
http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/nelson...0850800800.html (http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/nelson-defends-army-plan/2006/10/15/1160850800800.html)