What absolute rubbish and the usual left wing rant that I often read in these posts.

Australia did the right hing in joining in this campaign and now Iraq is developing into a well needed democracy in the area.

King Hazza. Too true.
This "we must suck up to the USA to protect us" theory was relevant in WW2, but in recent times is merely a cultural hangover. Since the V2 missile any "total war" scenario will be *completely* different to historical wars. It is only the limited economic "warfare" resembling extreme police action (Iraq, Afghanistan) that resembles the pre-WW2 warfare. Australia is in an excellent position to *defend* using modern detection methods and the ability to obliterate any zone within (say) 500km of the coast using missiles. This tactic would completely cover the "foreign horde" invasion scenario that our grandparents worried about. It would also send a more ethical message regarding deadly force: We will never invade or kill for politics, but we will defend to the hilt without mercy.
Pre-emptive wars for financial gain are not ethical, nor can it be argued honestly that it is "defence". (A bully's defence: "he would have hit me, so I hit first")
The Iraq war was a con so that Haliburton, Blackwater and the remnants of Standard Oil can extract limitless profits from other nation's wealth. The Bush families ties to the Saudis and the Bin Ladens is also a fascinating background to the war.
The war cost trillions and put the USA into dire financial straits. It wasn't just Wall St greed, it was vast public expenditure with only a few major winners.
There is ample documented evidence that Bush and co have wanted to control the middle east oil supplies for decades and engineered the excuse to do so.
It really annoys me that this massive breakdown in Law and governance was allowed to slide simply because the criminals were friends with the rich and powerful. Is our system of Good that weak in the face of powerful criminals?

What war in Iraq? A few war mongering politicians joined Australia in an attack against a nation that was not at war. That is what an inquiry should be about.

What is not mentioned in this excellent Post is that Australia, through the use of our armed forces (the SAS) also initiated a below-the-belt murderous pre-war incursion into Iraq under cover of darkness using state-of-the-art night vision to "pick off" "Murder" those iraq personnel manning positions that would do harm once the illegal invasion took place.
This has brought disgrace to Australia and its armed forces and the smeer now on our armed forces can only be removed by an enquiry into Australian War Crimes in Iraq, by this present government. Not to do so will implicate this government as complicit in these crimes, down in history.
This war crime was well documented in Australian newspapers at the time, but to the digrace of the Australian Government, nothing was done. SEE
http://johnwinstonhowardandtheiraqwar.blogspot.com/

The Australian people had no way of stopping invasion decisions made by politicians of the time. The defence force participants did what they were ordered to do. Politicians led the attack without any evidence of substance to do so.

How manmy Iraqi civilians are now dead or maimed for life?

Bravo.

What has changed regarding terrorism in the last ten or eleven years. It still very active and blowing people up. Iraq and afghan are still places that it is not safe to live. Many more lives have been lost, especially in these countries. The world is flooded with refugees fleeing terror. The outcome is the same as Vietnam, and always will be when one country invades another.