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Politics : Foreign Affairs Discussion Group -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: geode00 who wrote (218692)	2/15/2007 6:20:59 PM
From: stockman_scott	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 281500

Australian leader under attack for criticizing senator ____________________________________________________________ By Rod McGuirk Associated Press February 15, 2007 CANBERRA, Australia -- Prime Minister John Howard's fracas with Senator Barack Obama of Illinois provoked a third straight day of political recriminations yesterday, as the Australian leader told parliament that the pledge by the Democratic presidential candidate to withdraw troops from Iraq would only invite more bloodshed. Howard, a staunch ally of President Bush's global war against terror, suffered blistering attacks from members of the center-left Labor Party, who want to bring Australian troops home from Iraq. Howard on Sunday told an Australian TV network that Al Qaeda would be praying for victories by Obama and other Democrats. His comments were made one day after Obama, who has introduced legislation to withdraw US troops by March 31, 2008, entered the race for the Democratic nomination. The Conservative leader yesterday refused Labor's demands to describe an exit strategy from the Iraq war. Deadlines for withdrawal like Obama's, he said, were "inviting the terrorists in Iraq to persist with the destabilization and the mayhem and the bloodshed in the certain knowledge that ultimately the nerve will be lost." The prime minister, who is up for re election later this year, has accused Labor leader Kevin Rudd of being "too gutless" to acknowledge that a premature withdrawal of US troops would be "a rolled gold catastrophe for the security interests of our own nation." Rudd, who has vowed to pull out most of Australia's 1,400 troops stationed in and around Iraq if he wins election this year, said a step-by-step US withdrawal is the only way forward. "The staged withdrawal of US troops in the only way . . . in which you bring political pressure to bear on the Sunnis and Shi'ites who are currently ripping each other apart," Rudd told Australian Broadcasting Corp. radio. John Hart, a specialist on US politics at Australian National University, said he suspected Howard had "gone too far" with his criticism of Obama . Labor has accused Howard of jeopardizing Australia's 56-year-old bilateral alliance with the United States. This turns the tables on the government, which in the lead-up to the 2004 elections accused Labor of being anti-American for opposing the Iraq war. Hart said Howard was also hurt by Obama's rebuttal that Australia had made only a token contribution to the coalition force in Iraq. © Copyright 2007 The New York Times Company

To: geode00 who wrote (218692)	2/15/2007 9:29:29 PM
From: sylvester80	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 281500

NEWS: Pelosi: Bush needs OK to invade Iran Speaker tells president he needs congressional OK as House debates Iraq The Associated Press Updated: 4:18 p.m. MT Feb 15, 2007 URL: msnbc.msn.com WASHINGTON - House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Thursday that President Bush lacks the authority to invade Iran without specific approval from Congress, a fresh challenge to the commander in chief on the eve of a symbolic vote critical of his troop buildup in Iraq. Pelosi, D-Calif., noted that Bush consistently said he supports a diplomatic resolution to differences with Iran “and I take him at his word.” At the same time, she said, “I do believe that Congress should assert itself, though, and make it very clear that there is no previous authority for the president, any president, to go into Iran.” Pelosi spoke in an interview in the Capitol as the House moved through a third marathon day of debate on a nonbinding measure that disapproves of the military buildup in Iraq while expressing support for the troops. Passage of the measure was expected Friday. Pelosi and other Democrats have said approval would mark the first step in an effort by the new Democratic-controlled Congress to force Bush to change course in a war that has killed more than 3,100 U.S. troops. Bush administration officials and their allies are resigned to House passage of the resolution and have worked in recent days to hold down defections by GOP lawmakers. But Bush took a swipe at his critics during the day. A presidential anomaly “This may become the first time in the history of the United States Congress that it has voted to send a new commander into battle and then voted to oppose his plan that is necessary to succeed in that battle,” the president said. The Senate unanimously confirmed Lt. Gen David Petraeus last week to take over as the top U.S. commander in Iraq. Bush said at a news conference Wednesday there is no doubt the Iranian government is providing armor-piercing weapons to kill American troops in Iraq. But he backed away from claims the top echelon of Iran’s government was responsible. Administration critics have accused the president of looking for a pretense to attack the Islamic republic, which is also at loggerheads with the United Nations about what Tehran says is a nuclear program aimed at developing energy for peaceful purposes. Defending U.S. intelligence that has pinpointed Iran as a hostile arms supplier in Iraq, Bush said, “Does this mean you’re trying to have a pretext for war? No. It means I’m trying to protect our troops.” Bush has asked Congress to approve $100 billion for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Congressional Democrats are hoping to insert provisions that would make it harder for the administration to follow through on its plan to deploy an additional 21,500 combat troops to Iraq. Rep. John Murtha, D-Pa., who is leading the effort, has said the measure may be changed to require that any troops deployed must meet formal Army readiness standards. Incorporating Iran into war measure? Murtha also said the measure may be changed to prohibit any military action against Iran without specific congressional approval. Asked about Murtha’s remarks, Pelosi said, “I fully support that.” She added that she would propose it as stand-alone legislation if it is not included in the bill that provides more money for the Iraq war. Bush has said he intends to go ahead with the troop buildup regardless of nonbinding expressions of disapproval in Congress. But, Pelosi said, “I don’t think that the president can completely ignore it.” She spoke down the hall from the House chamber, where Republicans and Democrats alternated turns at the microphone in a debate on the war. URL: msnbc.msn.com