Australia jumps on the 'terrorist' bandwagon.

[taranaki]

The Australian government launched its re-election campaing this week.Unsurprisingly,it has copied the Republican party's shameless use of 'national security' as a marketing tool for its policies.

Australia has terror worries for election[or so say Abbott and Costello]
8/30/2004, 10:20 p.m. ET
By ROD McGUIRK
The Associated Press

CANBERRA, Australia (AP) — Prime Minister John Howard's government warned that Australia could become a terrorist target during a six-week election campaign that began Monday, with the war on terror and the nation's troop deployment in Iraq already taking center stage.

Treasurer Peter Costello said Australia should be alert for attacks in the lead up to the Oct. 9 election since Islamic militants detonated bombs in Madrid that killed 191 people in March. Several days later voters elected Spain's Socialists, who opposed the war and occupation of Iraq. Many said the conservative government's support for the war made Spain a target for al-Qaida.

"In Spain during an election there was a terrorist incident, so we have to be careful in Australia," he told Melbourne radio station 3AW on Monday — the first full day of campaigning.

The Madrid bombings were believed aimed at influencing the Spanish vote days later. Socialists won the election and made good on their pledge to pull Spanish troops out of Iraq.

Costello warned terrorists that they could not sway Australian voters with such an attack.

"Any terrorists should understand this point, if they think some kind of attack on Australians is going to change Australian policy, they're wrong, dead wrong," he said, adding later that he was not referring to any specific information of a threat.

Howard's government is one of the staunchest supporters of the U.S.-led war on terror and sent 2,000 troops to join U.S. and British forces in the invasion of Iraq. It still has more than 800 military personnel in and around the country.

Labor has pledged to withdraw most of the troops by Christmas, setting up a choice similar to that faced by Spanish voters earlier this year.

President Bush has called Labor's policy as "dangerous" while the government says the opposition's stance is playing into terrorists' hands. Howard payed down the impact of Iraq on his re-election prospects, while

Labor Leader Mark Latham reiterated his party's commitment to the withdrawal of troops.

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Unsurprisingly,the Australian public are not buying this scaremongering nonsense.Labor is ahead in the polls.

[YogsVR4]

Nothing shameless about it. Its only shameless to the haters.

[DGB454]

Taranaki..Tell that to the French who didn't support the war and still are being held hostage because of a school dress code.

Terrorist need to be wiped out and no country should bend to any demands.

[jcsaleen]

Originally Posted by DGB454

Terrorist need to be wiped out and no country should bend to any demands.

I AGREE! 100% -

[TRD2000]

Man i wish i'd seen this last week... i so could have predicted that bombing on the Australian Embassy....

Every time Howard announces an election there is conveniently a mojor event about a month out that will swing voters away from all the issues they have had for the past three years and get them to vote for him... last time it was the Tampa... Australians had been saying for years they didn't want boat people just walking into the country... he was prepared to act...conveniently a month before the election (not before) and everyone was willing to neglect what a lying scumbag he has been...

i said after the last election that something would happen and it has...

conveniently the bombing in indonesia (again...and Australians can no doubt understand why) is right before an election, it shows a direct threat but with minimum impact.. and because it occurred outside our borders, Howard can say he has made Australia "secure".... had it occurred inside Australia it would have shown Australia was now a definate target and that the government was to blame... Now far be it for me to suggest that Howard or the government had anything to do with this event... but it's convenient isn't it?

[TRD2000]

DGB454

you mean demands like... hand over your leader and your oil or we'll blow the crap out of you?

yeah i can see what you mean!!!

incidentally... the secularism in france is designed to treat all people equally.. sound familiar? showing no preference to one religion over another in an effort to nullify religious differences... i think theres some stuff like that in the U.S. constitution... though it may have been forgotten? perhaps as a legacy of france helping to free the U.S. from England....

[YogsVR4]

Originally Posted by TRD2000

DGB454

you mean demands like... hand over your leader and your oil or we'll blow the crap out of you?

yeah i can see what you mean!!!

incidentally... the secularism in france is designed to treat all people equally.. sound familiar? showing no preference to one religion over another in an effort to nullify religious differences... i think theres some stuff like that in the U.S. constitution... though it may have been forgotten? perhaps as a legacy of france helping to free the U.S. from England....

Exactly what part is that? You mean that part that says "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof..." Are you one of the many people who don't even know what the constitution actually says? Nothing there about nullifying any part of religion. It only means that the government cannot prevent you from following your religion or establish its own.

[TRD2000]

equal rights are not about the right to do anything you want... france treats all religions equally

i'm proud to be one of the billions who don't live under the US constitution... frankly these days i'd be ashamed to be one of the millions who have to call themselves Americans.

[Flatrater]

Originally Posted by TRD2000

equal rights are not about the right to do anything you want... france treats all religions equally

i'm proud to be one of the billions who don't live under the US constitution... frankly these days i'd be ashamed to be one of the millions who have to call themselves Americans.

My pride lies in the fact that you are not an AMERICAN! Just thank an American you are not speaking German right now.

[taranaki]

Originally Posted by Flatrater

My pride lies in the fact that you are not an AMERICAN! Just thank an American you are not speaking German right now.

Why? If Japan hadn't dicked Pearl Harbor, it's quite possible that America would have just sat back and watched.

[Ssom]

Really, Flatrater? Because I always taught that it was the Russians who did most of of the walking over the Germans, when they got lucky off a tactical blunder by Hitler in Babarossa (A Russian Winter ).....


Of course, we can thank America that we're not speaking JApanese right now, because the British were useless at protecting the Asia-Pacific region.

I'm also glad the Commies never got hold of any more of the world than they did...... But the point is, I'm tired of the US misconception that they were the only country that could stop Hitler and Mussolini (Well, even I could stop Mussolini). They were the only ones able to stop Stalin and Tojo, I will happily admit, but not Hitler.

[Flatrater]

Originally Posted by Moss1O6GTi

Really, Flatrater? Because I always taught that it was the Russians who did most of of the walking over the Germans, when they got lucky off a tactical blunder by Hitler in Babarossa (A Russian Winter ).....

Of course, we can thank America that we're not speaking JApanese right now, because the British were useless at protecting the Asia-Pacific region.

Sounds like you have alot of hatred for the Germans, British, Russians, Japanese and Americans.

Originally Posted by Moss1O6GTi

But the point is, I'm tired of the US misconception that they were the only country that could stop Hitler and Mussolini (Well, even I could stop Mussolini). They were the only ones able to stop Stalin and Tojo, I will happily admit, but not Hitler.

How is it a misconception? I never said we were the only country that could stop Hilter but we were the only country that did. Its simple Hilter was winning until he took on the Russians this spread Hilter's army too thin. But Hilter could of won until the Americans came with a sizeable army. Its the size of the American army that allowed us to defeaat Hilter. So yes it is the Americans who can take credit for the win. It sure as hell wasn't the French.

[taranaki]

Rather tedious when people who weren't there and did nothing try to claim some kind of credibility because they happen to have been born in the same country as those that were.Perhaps you should be a bit more grateful that they were there, instead of riding on the back of their sacrifices.

[Flatrater]

Originally Posted by taranaki

Rather tedious when people who weren't there and did nothing try to claim some kind of credibility because they happen to have been born in the same country as those that were.Perhaps you should be a bit more grateful that they were there, instead of riding on the back of their sacrifices.

Well Naki I am not American born, that blows your post out of the water.

Rather tedious when people who aren't American and did nothing about Iraq, George Bush and the republicans claim some kind of credibility because they happen to have been born in the another country as those that are American. Perhaps you should be a bit more grateful that America took care of Saddam, instead of riding on the back of their sacrifices and trashing them the whole way!

[Ssom]

Originally Posted by Flatrater

Sounds like you have alot of hatred for the Germans, British, Russians, Japanese and Americans.




How is it a misconception? I never said we were the only country that could stop Hilter but we were the only country that did. Its simple Hilter was winning until he took on the Russians this spread Hilter's army too thin. But Hilter could of won until the Americans came with a sizeable army. Its the size of the American army that allowed us to defeaat Hilter. So yes it is the Americans who can take credit for the win. It sure as hell wasn't the French.

You need to learn to read, or at least comprehend simple English properly.


I have no hatred for Germans (Except for the fact they are so serious all the time), nor Russians, Americans, Japanese or anyone else and I never implied it by any means. I will happily admit that I openly hate Communism.