Indeed Ozandy- even without speculating on America's real motives for invading Iraq, the bottom line for Australia is we only participated to support the USA, and were sold false reasons for doing so.
This alone is unacceptable in my opinion.

Our ability to defend ourselves, especially against naval AND air threats, is quite substantial (especially with Metalstorm weaponry), even despite our smaller serving forces and population.
That of course ignores that there is too little to suggest we even HAVE any countries that would attack us, as our most threatening neighbors aren't particularly hostile countries (though their capabilities are also extensive).

Indeed Flo:
Correct- I believe the simplest fix to the constitution is the requirement that a declaration to war must pass:
1- the parliament
2- the senate
3- the voting public via referendum
All 3 must have over 65% support, or it doesn't happen.
Let's see how our foreign policy changes with that it place.

Dear Chris, if your article and the like minded posts on this thread are an example of the thought processes you share, I have news for you. There is no cure.

Your article is sadly deficient in truth and thick with omissions, primarily because it starts at the end of a timeline, namely the “Iraq War”. Whilst this is ideally suited to provoking self righteous indignation amongst ill informed but like minded protestors, it does you little credit.

Following a three month study tour in the M.E. last year I was shocked at the venom and contempt in which our western commentariat is held. You need to send your article to some people in Iraq for comment. That way you will understand how impossibly misguided you really are. John Pilger does a much better job.

Please share the responses you get.

So Chris Doran and others are finally realising that the invasion of Iraq was a lie purely for the theft of oil by large corporate interests like BP/Caltex.It was never going to lower the price of oil for us or the USA.In fact,if they get more monopolistic power,oil will get more expensive.

a597 you seem to think that Iraqis are now liberated? That is a total lie.Saddham was a US generated dictator who got out of their control.That was his gravest sin.

The Iraqi Oil Ministry has awarded licenses to a broad range of international companies, many of which are based in nations that opposed the war and refused to participate. The perception that American oil companies would receive preferential treatment in a post-war Iraq have been proven false so far, with only two U.S.-based companies receiving contracts to develop Iraqi oil fields.

List of oil companies operating in Iraq.
BP, Inc. (USA)
China National Petroleum Corp.
Eni SpA (Italian)
Exxon Mobil (USA)
Royal Dutch Shell
Sonangol (Agolian)
Lukoil and Statoil ASA (Russian)
Gazprom (Russian)
Petronas (Malaysian)

Moral of the story, get a new conspiracy theory. Also, is there anyone out there still claiming Iraq never had weapons of mass desruction? If so please note the following:

August 1983 Haij Umran
Mustard , fewer than 100 Iranian/Kurdish casualties
October-November 1983 Panjwin
Mustard, 3,000 Iranian/Kurdish casualties
February-March 1984 Majnoon Island
Mustard, 2,500 Iranian casualties
March 1984 al-Basrah
Tabun, 50-100 Iranian casualties
March 1985 Hawizah Marsh
Mustard & Tabun, 3,000 Iranian casualties
February 1986 al-Faw
Mustard & Tabun, 8,000 to 10,000 Iranian casualties
December 1986 Um ar-Rasas
Mustard, 1,000s Iranian casualties
April 1987 al-Basrah
Mustard & Tabun, 5,000 Iranian casualties
October 1987 Sumar/Mehran
Mustard & nerve agent, 3,000 Iranian casualties
March 1988 Halabjah& Kurdish area
Mustard & nerve agent, 1,000s Kurdish/Iranian casualties
April 1988 al-Faw
Mustard & nerve agent, 1,000s Iranian casualties
May 1988 Fish Lake
Mustard & nerve agent, 100s or 1,000s Iranian casualties
June 1988 Majnoon Islands
Mustard & nerve agent, 100s or 1,000s Iranian casualties
July 1988 South-central border
Mustard & nerve agent, 100s or 1,000s Iranian casualties
March 1991, an-Najaf - Karbala area
Nerve agent & CS, Shi’a casualties not known.

Who are you kidding Stezza.These are multi-national oil companies in which individual congressmen Global Reserve Banks etc have shares in.The whole basis of your propaganda is false.

Care to introduce any facts arjay? or perhaps you will just resort to your usual 'jews control the world' hysteria.