Obviously, Australia's concerns are a bit closer to Indonesia than the Middle East, but as the U.K. has announced plans to pull back, Australia has announced plans to increase involvement in Afganistan.

The politics of war notwithstanding, it seems Australia and the U.S.A. are now growing closer as allies. This is excellent news for me, and other Americans, because over the last twenty years, Australia has emerged as one of the world's great science and engineering centres ... but few in the U.S.A. realized this. Sure, U.S. investment was made in India, in China, in Europe ... but these people do not share our vision as does Australia and her people.

I would like to see both of these wars end as soon as possible. Then I would like to see an ever-increasing cooperation between Australia and the U.S.A. ... not simply a few public appearances, or a few research projects.

Rather, I envision a new age of U.S.A. and Australian cooperation ... not in war, but in peace. In solving problems of desalination, air pollution, quantum computing, aerospace, agriculture, medicine, energy and basic science. Finally, I hope that we Americans can become more like Australians, and move beyond our sometimes material concerns to develop a deeper appreciations for the genuinely good things in life ... nature, family and friendship.

Given that the US needs to import 12.5 million barrels of crude oil a day and that Iraq, Iran and Saudi Arabia combined produce 13 million barrels a day. There will be no withdrawal of US troops until the oilfields and exports are secured.

"Defeat" means a collapse of the US economy. Thats explains why they are there.

But why are we there? Afghanistan is where the terrorists were, why did we not see through the lies.

PLANTA... mate.. I don't recall suggesting that we have a divine right or calling to invade Iraq..but I take the dig on the nose :)

Myla.. you raise a very interesting and as yet unexplored point !

"How do you give equal access to seaports and roads? What happens if immediately afterwards Saudi annexes the Sunni areas and Iran annexes the Shiite areas?"

This particular scenario had not occured to me in the past but I actually think its A GOOD IDEA ! yep..I do.. at least that way, (as long as they can make a suitable arrangement regarding guarantee of oil supply to us) the ratbag element of each side will be held in check by the large 'Father' figures of Saudi Arabia and Iran.
That doesn't solve the problem for the Kurds, but maybe you have a suggestion ?

All your points are valid... I don't see any easy solution to this.

FRANK.. you mention about restoring all the services. That would be good, but do you think this could be done without such services being hijacked by the current sectarian groups ?

CORNFLOWER.. woops.. SORRY ! believe it or not, poking fun at ur nick was the furthest thing from my mind.. I was using our Aussie 'Jonesy' for Jones.. Billy for William Smithy for Smith approach k ?
So the 'tone' was in your head not my keyboard.
Before responding to your Vietname claim, I went through a timeline of the War from around 69 to 75 and it is clear that the war was lost in the lounge rooms of America.. the TVs. Check it out mate.
http://www.historyplace.com/unitedstates/vietnam/index-1969.html
Sorry if my Australianization of your nick offended u. You are Aussie ?

Indeed Steve, we all abandoned Afghanistan, no questions asked. I doubt they are looking for Osama Bin Laden any more, the search was a sham all along.

Oh dear, now the pottery analogy. So that's the new rhetoric we are supposed to swallow now.

The problem is, the pottery is broken. As the nursery rhyme says; "All the King's horsemen and all the King's men, couldn't put Humpty together again".

At the whimsey of a silly conspiracy theory that Iraq had "weapons of mass destruction, some of which could even reach Australia" the US and the Coalition of the willing invaded something that was none of their business. Except of course, oil. The story changed. It was the threat of Iraq's capability. When that was exhausted, it was the war we had to have. When that was exhausted, it was the war for democracy. Now that is exhausted, it is the war to keep democracy.

The fundamentalists drank it in like it was holy water. Fools!

The problem is, there was only ever chaos since invasion and there is no real democracy to defend.

If they have to break up into three countries, let them sort it our with the United Nations, which is what they should have done in the first place.

There is no solution to Iraq. Only Iraq can resolve Iraq. Even TE Lawernce of Arabia made this observation when we fail to understand these cultures.

You expect us to believe another stupid lie?

No wonder God stuck the Australian Parliament house's flag pole thrice in anger. If you are superstitious, do you think God is happy with the Government?

The minute Howard demands to double the troops, the flagpole is struck by lightning thrice.

What do you say to that David? Care to go hunting with Mr Cheney?

Is God "not happy Jan?".

If you support this colonial intervention then war and murder on a massive scale is palatable, and then, all sorts of justifications are possible. Irrespective of 655,000 Iraqi deaths and 3 to 4 million casualties. Certainly, the greatest one sided war in history against a relatively defenseless and already war-devastated country.

For instance, you are not murdering or crippling these people but somehow you are doing them some type of favour such as bringing them democracy. Most people are skeptical that the US using cruise missiles, massive bombing, napalm, or depleted uranium shells somehow equates with democracy.

The latest lie used to continue this murderous rampage to steal the second largest oil supplies is "there is a case for staying the course in Iraq."

What a variety of Online Opinion there is on this one.
So many people, all 'knowing good and evil', and knowing the real reasons and the real remedy.
All up, I reckon it is all very difficult - and has been all along, to know how best to respond.

Most decisions have a downside. Even good well-measured ones.
I must say I was in agreement with some parts of this original article: 'the case for staying'.
Fixing up the mess, to some degree, and staying long enough to do so seems very honourable. (Hard to know how long though).

As to it all being the USA and Australia's fault - no, can't agree.
Iraq had been very provocative, militarily: the Islamic tyrant at the helm, was guilty of many atrocities. As for the WMD's - none found, but, who really knows?
As for harbouring terrorists? I reckon there are a fair few mean ones still there.

As to the theological comments - always intermingled on the threads like this.
Let us be clear, the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ is sovereign over it all.
But it is pretty poor form to equate this true God, with all poor decisions of Bush and USA.
They are as culpable for their evil, as Islamic nations are for their evil.
We all need the Prince of Peace to profoundly affect our lives and nations.