Australia exempt as Bush seeks more help in Iraq | Sydney Morning Herald

[Ediacara]

Australia exempt as Bush seeks more help in Iraq
By Marian Wilkinson, in Washington and Tom Allard
September 9, 2003

The United States President, George Bush, wants the global community to take up its "responsibility" and send more troops to Iraq but appears unwilling to share political power with the United Nations in return.

In his national address, he called for Americans to make greater sacrifices for the war on terrorism and asked Congress for an extra $US87 billion ($135 billion) for the effort in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Speaking just days before the second anniversary of the September 11 terrorist attacks, Mr Bush said the US "will spend what is necessary to achieve this essential victory in the war on terror".

While insisting there were sufficient US troops in Iraq, he said that "in order the share the burden more broadly" commanders had asked for a third multinational division alongside those run by the British and the Poles.

Australia, however, is exempt from Mr Bush's plea. The US Ambassador to Australia, Tom Schieffer, said yesterday that the US would not ask Canberra for more troops.

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[MetaTrope]

1. At least not until after October

When Whistle Ass is visiting that nation where 1 out of 9 people own guns.