I agree, you got it wrong with the reason for invading Iraq though, it was not to stamp out terrorism, as everyone knows there was no connection of Iraq with terrorism, when the coalition of the willing did the shock and awe attack on innocent civilians.
WMD and getting Sadam was the pronounced reason, instead a war of terror and destruction of the country and its people is the reality, and continuing four years after the initial war of terror.
The Western media, led by America claims that "terrorists" are causing the major problems in Iraq today, discounting that occupation by foreign troops, has anything to do with it.
American corporates have prospered from the war of terror, and they will not be going away, anytime soon, external contracts is a money cow, for them.
To my mind "terrorists" and "terrorism" are weasel words, typically used by those who are totally dishonest and misleading. I would like to see anyone who utters these words to back them up with an explanation and provide proof, and name, names of individuals or organisations, without pointing at Iraqi citizens, who are rightfully aggressive toward the occupation of their country by christians, who they don,t see eye to eye with anyway, and also the selfish profiteering parasites, taking full advantage of them.
Going back to the use of atomic bombs by America of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, America has caused more terror than any other country up to the present day, they even terrorise each other on their homeland, 60,000 Americans are killed each year by a gun, far more than the number of people killed each year by so called "terrorists" around the world.
If Australia was invaded and occupied by a foreign power, would we like to be called "terrorists" by the occupiers, as we attempted to get rid of them by any force or means to be rid of them.
We have terror on our roads every day, as an ex ambulance officer, i have experienced this terror on the ground.
I agree that Iraqis need safe refuge.

?? and mindfulness lost to the power antic's of a few!

Federal Australia is advocating so much coercsive intimidation and political instablity on itself right now that it is no wonder it cant see through the real chaos, nor address it's own level of constructive engagement at ground level anywhere.

I don't believe the wellbeing of civilains is in our national frame at the moment.

I feel we are now going from bad to callous and it is impacting negative responses from each of us as a whole national community.

What hurts the most is that we know better. Our knowledge "to Act" is being undermined by those with a stake in power.

As a person whose whole family was lost to WWII, I can tell you this human crisis (displacement) may only get worse as nations hide their eyes to the needs of those civilian populations caught between the distructiveness and pain.

What is to become of us and what do we say to the next generation of displaced children as they try to grow through this reign?

Australians appear to have small memories when it comes to comprehending the plight of others and their need for long-term basic life-style and safety.

http://www.miacat.com/
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Sheeting the Blame.

As well as the blame going to Bush and Co for the preemptive illegal attack on Iraq, how much blame should be heaped on Blair and Howard who were the only ones to back Bush?

As one still finds it hard to gain agreement on the above from a rather naïve, but still at the same time proud public, it is realized what a problem we could be facing in the future?

Of course much of our public pride is linked to Howard, as Britain’s is still linked to Blair rather than Brown, leaving future historians with possible honesty problems in the future.

Trying to look from the outside one also wonders how moods about US unipolar power might be changing in those countries who did not back the attack on Iraq, at present proven by Putin of Russia, with China and India possibly in agreement with Russia in the future.

Finally as one who believed that Saddam and his two-timing Sunnis could have been eventually enticed to sway towards the US, rather than attacking them, is not left quite with a victorious feeling, but a wish that we could straighten things out ourselves, rather having to rely on pressure from outside countries.

It still does not leave much love for Howard, nor Blair, however.

Cheers - BB, WA.

I AM SURE WE WOULD WELCOME GENUINE IRAQI REFUGEES INTO AUSTRALIA AND OTHER COUNTRIES, BUT HOW MANY CRIMINALS AND TERRORISTS ARE SENT TO REFUGEE CAMPS WITHOUT ANY MEANS OF FINDING PAST HISTORIES OF THESE PEOPLE ? I.E. PEOPLE CLAIMING TO BE REFUGEES SO AS TO INFILTRATE OTHER COUNTRIES IF THEIR CLAIMS CANNOT BE VERIFIED THEY SHOULD NOT BE GIVEN REFUGEE STATUS!!

IRISH.. one of the blokes at my gym, worked for 3 months at Nauru refugee detention centre...

he became quite close to some by acting 'on their side'..and he says that one of them is said (by others there) to be TALIBAN....

So...... yes.. u raise some good questions, but go easy on the caps.. its hard to read mate. Save them for when ur SHOUTING :)