Johnny Come Lately.

New Zealand(N.Z) based blogger has an enlightening post, on the hypocrisy of New Zealand Prime Minister, Helen Clark regarding the political landscape of Fiji. Clark is not alone in this arrogant display of diplomacy as another N.Z blogger addresses in this post: redrave: Imperialism pushes Fiji towards another coup

Alexander Downer, the mercurial Australian Foreign Affairs Minister, is fresh from denouncing the road map to democracy outlined by Fiji's interim Government; if that wasn't too much of a bone to chew on, Downer grandstands on the issue of Iraq, subsequent to the British Prime Minister, Tony Blair announcing the withdrawal plans from Iraq.

The Australian Newspaper published an article covering Downer's comments, whilst defending the political motives in Australia's own troop surge to Iraq.

Without a doubt, the early departure of Britain from Iraq will force Australia to pick up the slack-an indication that the Howard Government was not adequately paying their full price in troop deployments, considering the outstanding US military assistance to Australia, a Geo-political form of Quid Pro Quo.

Melbourne Herald Sun online feedback underlines the resistance to the Australian troop surge, from a wide swath of opinions.

This is the excerpt:

Downer denies 'political' troops boost


FOREIGN Affairs Minister Alexander Downer has denied the move to send more Australian troops to Iraq is based on a purely political decision.

He said the groundwork for the deployment of up to 70 more soldier trainers began well before Prime Minister John Howard's verbal stoush with US Democrat senator and presidential aspirant Barack Obama.

Yesterday's announcement came ahead of a visit this week by US Vice-President Dick Cheney, and amid the continued popularity of Labor leader Kevin Rudd's plans to bring Australian troops home.

"Well we have to roll our eyes every morning when we get out of bed and know that we have our political opponents who are always making party political points against us, whether they are the Labor Party or the Howard haters," Mr Downer told ABC Radio today.

"It's not true, it is nothing to do with that, obviously the chief of the defence force had been working on this for quite some time."

Mr Downer said the boost to trainer numbers would ensure Iraqi troops could assume control of the country "as quick as possible".

Mr Downer also said he understood opposition to the war in Iraq.

"I know it is not popular, but at the end of the day when you're the government you have to try to do the right thing by the nation's security."

Early last week, Senator Obama rejected Mr Howard's public criticism of his Iraq withdrawal policy by highlighting the low level of Australian troops compared to those from the US.

Australia's decision to send in more military trainers, is considered another blunder by the former head of Australia's special forces cadre- SASR, according to Sydney Morning Herald article.

It appears that much of the upcoming elections (in the UK, US and Australia) will hinge precariously on Iraq and that particular subject will either make or break aspiring candidates. If anyone understands the political fall-out of Iraq, it should be the Italians. BBC news reports the resignation of Italy's P.M. News of this resignation further reminds readers of the political retribution facing the leaders of Australia and UK, for their sins in Iraq.

According to an article from Political Affairs magazine, quoting an article from the Guardian newspaper that, political polls show an overwhelming disdain for the Howard Government and their policies. The Opposition Leader, Kevin Rudd described John Howard as a risk to National Security in an article by Melbourne Herald.

This is a micro-excerpt of the article from Political Affairs:

Howard’s big gaffe was the criticism of the US Democrat Presidential candidate, Barack Obama because of his opposition to the Iraq war. If Howard’s claim that Obama’s opposition would encourage terrorists was valid, the same must be said of the majority of the American people and those Democrats and Republicans who last week overwhelmingly voted for the phased withdrawal of American troops from Iraq.

Howard’s statement is yet another example of his arrogance and willingness to interfere in the internal affairs of other countries without any consideration for what is appropriate in the relations between one country and another. It is part of the Howard Government’s pre-emptive strike policies by which he claims a right to send police and troops to other countries to take over government responsibilities and to control their police and troops – as is being done in the Solomon Islands and East Timor and as he would like to be able to do in Papua New Guinea and Fiji.

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