Howard's Iraq policy is about helping mates, not the Iraqi people

Australian policy on Iraq is pretty simple, and it has never had much to do with Iraq itself. It has always been about Washington, and especially about President George Bush. We helped invade Iraq in 2003 to support Bush; we sent troops back to help with the resulting mess last year to support Bush, and when the time comes the troops will return home - most likely - when the US decides to leave. For that reason don't pay attention to what the Government says about what is happening in Iraq. When John Howard talks about how vital Iraq is in the war on terrorism, he is simply saying what needs to be said to support Bush, and to justify the choices he has made to back Bush's policies over the past five years.