Australia Won't Rule Out Sending Troops To Iraq

[Purveyor]

Source: Associated Press

CANBERRA, Australia (AP) — Australia's prime minister says he's holding open the possibility of sending a combat force to Iraq in addition to military transport aircraft to airlift humanitarian aid to refugees trapped by insurgents in northern mountains.

Prime Minister Tony Abbott told reporters in London after meeting with British officials on the Iraq crisis on Tuesday that his government wouldn't rule out taking military action in Iraq.

The suggestion that Australian combat troops could return to Iraq was widely attacked Wednesday by the government's political opponents.

But Defense Minister David Johnston played down the prospect of an Australian combat force, saying the military had only committed to sending two unarmed C-130 Hercules transport planes for humanitarian aid air drops to begin within two or three days.

Read more: http://bigstory.ap.org/article/australia-wont-rule-out-sending-troops-iraq

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Turn down the lights and pull the shades Katy, looks like this party is just getting started...

[Skittles]

1. Dubya's enduring legacy

[Matilda]

2. His domestic policies are failing,

so he's looking for a foreign war to get involved in.

You'd think one failed invasion of Iraq would be enough, but Abbott isn't the brightest crayon in the box. Very slow to learn.

[CJCRANE]

3. Another neocon mouthpiece.

I saw a clip of him on TV parroting his Murdochian talking points.

He wasn't very convincing.

He's no Tony Blair.

[atreides1]

4. Then the US will wave...

...as the Aussies invade Iraq all by themselves!

Good luck guys, all the best, and try not to do a repeat of Gallipoli...we know how that turned out!

[Puzzledtraveller]

5. what?

Australia is saying this precisely because the US is going to be sending troops in.

[lark]

6. Good dream, doubt that will happen

If they go in, the pressure here will be overwhelming for us to go and support 2 (ahem) allies. Hope they don't go because I don't trust Obama to stand up to the pressure from the dark side.