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Australia withdraws troops from Iraq
About 500 Australian combat troops pulled out of their base in southern Iraq on Sunday, fulfilling an election promise by Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd to bring the soldiers home this year.
Australia, a loyal U.S. ally, was one of the first countries to commit troops to the Iraq war. In addition to the combat troops, it also deployed aircraft and warships to the Gulf to protect Iraq's offshore oil platforms.
Since handing over security of Dhi Qar province to the Iraqis, the main role of the Australian battle group, numbering about 515 soldiers, has been to train and support Iraqi forces.
Rudd, who won elections last November, had promised to bring home frontline troops this year. Polls show 80 percent of Australians oppose the war.
Australia's top military commander, Air Chief Marshal Angus Houston, said in February that after the troops pulled out, Australia would leave behind two maritime surveillance aircraft and a warship helping patrol the oil platforms, as well as a small force of security and headquarters liaison troops. About 500 Australian combat troops pulled out of their base in southern Iraq on Sunday, fulfilling an election promise by Australian P... more -
Australian troops pull out of Iraq
Around 515 Australian combat troops have today pulled out of their base in southern Iraq, fulfilling an election promise by the nation's PM Kevin Rudd to bring the soldiers home this year.
US forces have taken their place, which in recent months has been mainly training and supporting Iraqi forces.
Australia, a staunch ally of the US, was one of the first countries to commit troops to the Iraq war, and also deployed aircraft and warships to the Gulf to protect Iraq's offshore oil platforms. Polls show 80 percent of Australians oppose the war.
Is Rudd simply honouring the populist vote, or is pulling out of Iraq the moral imperative, no matter what stage the war is at? Around 515 Australian combat troops have today pulled out of their base in southern Iraq, fulfilling an election promise by the nation... more -
Australian police shut down art exhibit containing nude teens, say charges "l...
New South Wales police say they will probably issue charges over Bill Henson's controversial art exhibition in Sydney's Roslyn Oxley9 gallery for its portrayal of nude 12- and 13-year-old children.
Twenty of the 41 photos in the exhibition were confiscated for evidence.
The Commander at Rosebay, Alan Sicard, says the shots all depict one girl under the age of 16 in a sexual context. He has confirmed they are likely to press charges. "On the offence of publishing an indecent article under the Crimes Act," he said.
Henson and the gallery agreed Thursday to temporarily suspend the show to allow investigators to speak to the children and their parents, police said. In an online statement, Roslyn Oxley9 Gallery stated that it would reopen the exhibit without the controversial photographs. The statement also defended Henson's reputation as an internationally respected contemporary artist.
Prime Minister Kevin Rudd weighed in on the issue during a morning interview on Nine Network television.
"I find them absolutely revolting," he said when showed the photographs. "Whatever the artistic view of the merits of that sort of stuff — frankly I don't think there are any — just allow kids to be kids."
Meanwhile, some artists and gallery patrons viewed the shutdown as censorship.
"I think the sexualization of children is an extremely important (issue)," said art market analyst Michael Reid. "The question is: 'Was there consent?' which I can't answer, and 'Has the image been sexualized?' In my opinion, it wasn't." New South Wales police say they will probably issue charges over Bill Henson's controversial art exhibition in Sydney's Rosl... more -
Kevin Rudd's salute to George Bush sparks row
Prime Minister Kevin Rudd of Australia has been condemned by political rivals for casually saluting President George W Bush at a social gathering of Nato leaders in Bucharest, Romania....because Rudd actually bothered to salute him, I TAKE it? No? Crazy goverment then. Prime Minister Kevin Rudd of Australia has been condemned by political rivals for casually saluting President George W Bush at a socia... more
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Australian PM makes a 'joke' about Bush and gets grief? Huh?
Australia's prime minister came under fire at home Friday over a playful salute he gave President Bush at a NATO summit, which critics said seemed to suggest Australian subservience to Washington.
Australian television repeatedly broadcast videos of the gesture Thursday on the sidelines of the Bucharest summit and speculated about what it meant, while opposition lawmakers said it belittled Australia.
"We are not the 51st state of the United States of America and Mr. Rudd's salute carried a subservient connotation many Australians won't like," said Bob Brown, leader of the minor opposition Greens party.
The salute revived memories of Southeast Asian countries, including Malaysia, accusing Australia under former Prime Minister John Howard of being too close to Bush and too willing to adopt hawkish U.S. foreign policy. Australia's prime minister came under fire at home Friday over a playful salute he gave President Bush at a NATO summit, which cr... more -
Australia says sorry to Aborigines
Sydney, Feb 13 : Australia on Wednesday formally apologized to the “Stolen Generations” of Aborigines with Prime Minister Kevin Rudd reading out a speech in the Federal Parliament in Canberra.
The apology was read out precisely from 9 a.m., as the first action of the second sitting day of the 42nd Parliament of Australia.
Rudd and Indigenous Affairs Minister Jenny Macklin received a standing ovation as they entered the Great Hall before the speech.
The 361-word apology was completed in three minutes and was watched by hundreds of parliamentarians, former prime ministers and representatives of the indigenous community.
Former prime ministers Paul Keating, Bob Hawke, Gough Whitlam and Malcolm Fraser and Sir William Deane were all seated on the floor of the Parliament as well as 17 people representing the stolen generation, according to reports.
In another address that was read immediately after the apology, Rudd spoke of removing a “stain from the soul of Australia”.
“The time has come, well and truly come … for all Australians, those who are indigenous and those who are not to come together, truly reconcile and together build a truly great nation,” he said. Sydney, Feb 13 : Australia on Wednesday formally apologized to the “Stolen Generations” of Aborigines with Prime Minister Kevin Rudd r... more -
Regarding Australia's National Apology
This text is one of the most honest and clear thinking explanations of the Australian Apology to the stolen generation and aboriginal people. It should be read in every classroom all over the world. This text is one of the most honest and clear thinking explanations of the Australian Apology to the stolen generation and aboriginal ... more
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grey politics rule ?!?
"Like sport, politics is no longer for amateurs. The colourful characters of yesteryear... are gone forever. ..Its the colourless inoffensive professionals that will now dominate... Its not about passion anymore"
"With the election of Rudd it is now set in stone politics is now about blandness, about being the smallest possible target. Its about being as anaemic and bloodless as possible"
unrelated:
http://current.com/items/77896791_seeing_grey "Like sport, politics is no longer for amateurs. The colourful characters of yesteryear... are gone forever. ..Its the colourles... more -
Australia's New PM Kevin Rudd Ratifies Kyoto Protocol
So now there will sit the U.S. in Bali, all alone and isolated.... again. Nice to see that some do actually uphold their campaign promises. So now there will sit the U.S. in Bali, all alone and isolated.... again. Nice to see that some do actually uphold their campaign pro... more
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Rudd Talks Climate Change With Gore
Am I too hopeful about the Bali Conference? To dare hope that we will see not only real solutions coming to fruition on a global scale, but for once to see the poor of our world in countries not contributing as much to this crisis treated equitably for the damage rich countries like the U.S. have done to them? To think we will see a true internarional spirit of goodwill and a sincere desire to save this planet? That this will rise above the pettiness of political bias and personal greed to the level of moral consciousness we need to truly do right by our children? We have far to go, and as Al Gore has quoted through an African proverb, we must go quickly. I am then so much more hopeful knowing that he is keynoting there and that Australia is now going to be a part of this. And this time we must not disappoint hope. Our existence depends on it. Am I too hopeful about the Bali Conference? To dare hope that we will see not only real solutions coming to fruition on a global scale... more
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Australias Path Bends Away From U.S.
LONDON, Nov. 25 The defeat of John Howard, Australias prime minister, in Saturdays election deprived President Bush of one of his most steadfast allies and will bring changes in Australias foreign policy that will be felt in Washington.
Under Mr. Rudd, Australias new prime minister, the most notable foreign policy changes will be on the environment, nuclear issues and Iraq, said a veteran Australian diplomat, who requested anonymity because he feared that Mr. Rudd would not look kindly on a public servant speaking out on foreign policy. LONDON, Nov. 25 The defeat of John Howard, Australias prime minister, in Saturdays election deprived President Bush of one of his ... more -
Howard Is Out In Australia!
A great day for Australia! And one more country that will sign the Kyoto Treaty. HMM, now what are you going to do Bush? The United States is now the only country not to sign the treaty. Thank you to the Australian people who have experienced firsthand the incompetence of those whose only mission was political expediency at the expense of their own country and this planet. I wish them the best under the leadership of Kevin Rudd. This is also a great day for the world. Also, a big thank you goes out to Al Gore whose tireless campaigning for this planet in Australia helped to bring about change. Don't tell me he has no power to make global change and to influence events. Gee, I wonder, will Howard go see An Inconvenient Truth now?////////// From the link/////Labor Party wins big in Australia By ROHAN SULLIVAN, Associated Press Writer
22 minutes ago///////SYDNEY, Australia - Conservative Prime Minister John Howard suffered a humiliating defeat Saturday at the hands of the left-leaning opposition, whose leader has promised to immediately sign the Kyoto Protocol on global warming and withdraw Australia's combat troops from Iraq.///////
Labor Party head Kevin Rudd's pledges on global warming and Iraq move Australia sharply away from policies that had made Howard one of President Bush's staunchest allies.////////
Rudd has named global warming as his top priority, and his signing of the Kyoto Protocol will leave the U.S. as the only industrialized country not to have joined it.////////
Rudd said he would withdraw Australia's 550 combat troops from Iraq, leaving twice that number in mostly security roles. Howard had said all the troops will stay as long as needed.//////
Official figures from the Australian Electoral Commission showed Labor far in front after more than 70 percent of the ballots had been counted with 53 percent of the vote compared to 46.7 percent for Howard's coalition.///////
Using those figures, an Australian Broadcasting Corp. analysis showed that Labor would get at least 81 places in the 150-seat lower house of Parliament a clear majority.///////
It was an embarrassing end to the career of Howard, Australia's second-longest serving leader.///////
As little as a year ago, Howard had appeared almost unassailable. But on Saturday he was in real danger of becoming only the second sitting prime minister in 106 years of federal government to lose his own seat in Parliament./////// A great day for Australia! And one more country that will sign the Kyoto Treaty. HMM, now what are you going to do Bush? The United S... more -
Howard Loses Oz election!
John Howard has been defeated by Labor in what was a very tense and at times white knuckle political ride. Here's the latest
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Australian Politician Rudd responds to Ear-wax eating Video.
"I'm really pleased about that how did I go on Jay Leno?"
"All of us in public and private life I'm sure would wish our behavior to be more ideal."
Rudd is expected to be the next Prime Minister of Australia. "I'm really pleased about that how did I go on Jay Leno?" ... more -
Newsblast!
Brush fires, international earwax removal, the CIA hard at work, and Christian Slater proves he's still alive.
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Kevin Rudd
