one third of aussies support war on terror

Nine MSN.com.au news link

The top coalition commander in Iraq, General David Petraeus, has warned that combatting the Iraqi insurgency could take decades as a poll finds a third of Australians are prepared to stay the course with an increasingly uncertain US.

Anybody ... would recognise that these are long-term endeavours," Petraeus said, referring to counter-insurgency operations. "Northern Ireland, I think, taught you (the British) that very very well. My counterparts in your (British) forces really understand this kind of operation."
He added that reconciliation in the British province "took a long time, decades. I don't know whether this will be decades, but the average counter-insurgency is somewhere around a nine or a 10-year endeavour".

*snip*

Nearly half of all Newspoll respondents are now anti-war: 26 percent of those surveyed wanted a definite date set for the withdrawal of Australian troops from Iraq, with 23 per cent saying they wanted the diggers brought home immediately.

But the single biggest bloc of voters — 31 percent — said the troops should remain as long as the Iraqi government wanted them, while 14 percent supported a mid-2008 withdrawal.

edit to fix quotes



[edit on 10/7/07 by Obliv_au]

hmm, if the 9 or 10 year endeavour is anything to go by then we are only about halfway
I do agree that if we pull out now iraq will become much worse, but he has a good point with drawing comparisons between iraq and the northern ireland insurgency's.

With the majority of aussies supporting the war even though it does state that the 31% figure is based on iraq forces actually wanting us there, it shows that there is support for our forces to stay there at least until the iraqi forces + govt feel safe and have enough control of their own country to send us home and that we are supporting the plan of our coalition mates for the long haul.

[edit on 10/7/07 by Obliv_au]

Last I remember 3 in 10 is not a majority.
I find this poll very suspicous, how many people were interview, 3?
with one an american businessman???

We have no right to be there, the US has no right to be there, Iraq did NOTHING to us, OR the USA.

that 30% are the same 30% that believe howard when he says
'' We are not there for oil security ''
There the same 30% that write to the west australian opinions section with:
" How can one Australian feel safe while 1 muslim is within our borders "

We're becoming as gullable as the American's... spose it was enevitable.

Originally posted by Agit8dChop
Last I remember 3 in 10 is not a majority.
I find this poll very suspicous, how many people were interview, 3?
with one an american businessman???

We have no right to be there, the US has no right to be there, Iraq did NOTHING to us, OR the USA.

that 30% are the same 30% that believe howard when he says
'' We are not there for oil security ''
There the same 30% that write to the west australian opinions section with:
" How can one Australian feel safe while 1 muslim is within our borders "

We're becoming as gullable as the American's... spose it was enevitable.

Hmmmmmm, last time I checked I didn't trust many people, LET ALONE Politicians.

And who's to say we have no right to be there????? I'm sure the Kurds would agree with you after he gassed and slaughtered them right??? I'm sure the Israeli's would agree with you when he lobbed a heap of missiles into Israeli neighbourhood's, and CIVILIAN neighbourhood's at that. But maybe I'm just in a disagreeable mood.

Although, I must admit, as much of a complete bastard that Saddam Hussein was, he did a bloody great job of keeping Insurgents and terrorists in check. You have to give him that, no matter what your stance on the Iraq War is.

Originally posted by Agit8dChop
Last I remember 3 in 10 is not a majority.

it says *nearly* half dont support the war..
this in turn means that slightly over half *does* support it.

Thats a majority last time i checked.

Originally posted by Agit8dChop
We have no right to be there, the US has no right to be there, Iraq did NOTHING to us, OR the USA.

So you think Iraq did nothing to Australia or to the USA - - -

Do you not remember the first Gulf War? Was that not a LEGAL war authorized by the all powerful and glorious UN? Did Iraq not kill and wound US and Australian troops? Did that war never really end but only go into a farcical truce that Iraq never really honored? Did Iraq not offer cash payments to the families of homicide bombers who killed Israeli and American citizens in their attacks?

So you think we have no right to be there - - -

We live in a different world than we did before the advent of WMD. In the 1930's we could sit behind our giant oceans and feel perfectly safe because we could see any major attack coming months or years in advance. In today's world we are confronted by weapons that can destroy whole cities and millions of people with not even a few minutes warning. We can no longer simply sit back and respond to any attack. The first attack could kill more Americans or Australians than died in both world wars.

Maybe you have a different opinion than I do, but I don't view that as an acceptable risk. How many Australians are you willing to sacrifice in a first strike before you can justify military action against an avowed enemy. Is it 1,000 or 10,000 or a million? What is the magic number that justifies going to war? What constitutes proof that someone is going to attack?

In previous posts on this forum I have been called an "Ultranationalist Neoconservative Warmonger with a need to Hate." I don't agree with that assessment - but if I have to choose between protecting my nation and my family against a perceived threat or waiting to see what happens - I choose action first.

That is the third of the population with 3 heads and 9 fingers on each hand.


The other 2 thirds do not support the bogus WOT and are smart enought to see the lies and fear mongering and propaganda

Originally posted by Weapon X

Hmmmmmm, last time I checked I didn't trust many people, LET ALONE Politicians.

And who's to say we have no right to be there????? I'm sure the Kurds would agree with you after he gassed and slaughtered them right??? I'm sure the Israeli's would agree with you when he lobbed a heap of missiles into Israeli neighbourhood's, and CIVILIAN neighbourhood's at that. But maybe I'm just in a disagreeable mood.

Although, I must admit, as much of a complete bastard that Saddam Hussein was, he did a bloody great job of keeping Insurgents and terrorists in check. You have to give him that, no matter what your stance on the Iraq War is.

You say you dont trust politicians yet in the same breath you beleive the balony evidence they put forward to justify this war. Please explain to me how to take you seriously when you dont trust the source but you beleive the evidence? Im curious

And in regards to gassing the kurds, yeah, it was horrendous, but it was US and European chemical sold illegally to the Iraqi Regime that killed those kurds. The US has as much blood on its hands as does Saddam.

And in regards to lobbing missiles into Israel, well he was justified in considering Israel a rogue state. Who wouldn't. Just look at their record of invading and not returning neighbouring lands. That and getting illegally nuclear weapons.

What of some other nation illegally obtained nuclear weapons....there would be uproar. Unfortunately there is a massive double standard within the international community.

quoted by itguysrule

Do you not remember the first Gulf War? Was that not a LEGAL war authorized by the all powerful and glorious UN? Did Iraq not kill and wound US and Australian troops? Did that war never really end but only go into a farcical truce that Iraq never really honored? Did Iraq not offer cash payments to the families of homicide bombers who killed Israeli and American citizens in their attacks?

Let me ask you how many of your own troops were killed not only in friendly fire incidents but by our government demanding the use of depleted uranium weapons...the major cause of Gulf War Syndrome.....How many returning troops died of cancer related illness? and no thankyou or compensation from the government for them sacrificing themselves.

So you think we have no right to be there - - -

Bloody Oath we have no right to be there. we have plenty of oil supply, both the US and Australia. Australia only uses 20% of middle eastern oil and we have about 400 years worth of natural gas reserves that we are not utilizing to its full effect.

Stop buying their oil,and they stop receiving Western money. They go downhill and becoming a third world nation like African nations. They wont be able to buy weapons.....problem solved.

We live in a different world than we did before the advent of WMD. In the 1930's we could sit behind our giant oceans and feel perfectly safe because we could see any major attack coming months or years in advance. In today's world we are confronted by weapons that can destroy whole cities and millions of people with not even a few minutes warning. We can no longer simply sit back and respond to any attack. The first attack could kill more Americans or Australians than died in both world wars.

Are you trying to tell me the back in 1942, the USA didnt know that Pearl Habour was coming? Of course they did, they needed a reason to enter the Pacific War and this was the 911 of WW2.

And please explain to me for I must have missed it.......when was the last time a "whole city" was destroyed? Um, lets see....Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

Back in 1945. The nuclear threat is way over hyped, and unfortunately the public is buying into it. The only way that terrorist will be able to get their hands on a nuclear bomb is with governments co-operation - allowing them the bomb, the safe passage and the means to detonate it to justify THAT governments agenda.......

WAKE UP people, the world is not black and white and rosy all over....it many shades of grey and every bodys wearing dark sunglasses and cannot see the truth.

Watch the movie "V for Vendetta". You all might learn something from it.

You got me on that one Melb_Militia. And now what I am about to say may offend some people.......

With regards to this war, I completely agree with you. We shouldn't be there. With all the hoax evidence and warmongering by "Dubya" and Little Johnny Puppetman, I think that we shouldn't have gotten involved in the first place. Maybe if we had someone in charge here in Australia that wasn't a gutless wonder, we wouldn't be there, but unfortunately we don't have a strong-willed, intelligent leader in place. Although that's a bit of an Oxymoron isn't it, and intelligent leader..........

And there is no way in hell I believed the evidence that was presented for the illegal war. When I first heard that we were going to war with Iraq, I thought "Oh great, another bull# war started by the Americans based on fear and lies, and we have been pulled into it because of our gutless leaders".

I know it may sound stupid and hypocritical, but I'm all for fighting terrorism, AS LONG as it is for the right reasons, and not for the bull# that has been peddled by Bush, Howard and Blair for the last 6 years.

And to you ITGUYSRULE, the last time I checked, the closest Australia has been to being attacked by an enemy was by the Japanese during WW2. Look up the Papua New Guinea campaign and the bombings of Darwin by the Japanese for evidence. Other than that, we have not been attacked.

I just find it ironic that we help you Americans, yet you still have a go at us for what we think. And how many Iraqi's have you seen chanting "DOWN WITH AUSTRALIA!!!!! DOWN WITH JOHN HOWARD!!!!!!" None methinks. And even AFTER the start of the war in Iraq, I have spoken to many Arabs through my work, and alot of them have told me how much they love Australia, and how nice a people we are, and that was AFTER we sent Soldiers to Iraq and Afghanistan. Yet all I see and hear each day is how hated America is.

Now I wonder why that is????? Could it be that people are starting to get sick of America's Holier-Than-Thou attitude?????? Could it be that America is not as Honourable or respected as it thinks, because of its actions in the past?????? Or maybe its just because people are starting to realise that America thinks only about itself, and doesn't give two s**ts about anyone else, unless it has something to do with your own self-serving interest.

Just have a look how things have backfired for you guys. You armed and funded Saddam, you armed and funded the Afghan Mujahadeen during the war against the Soviets, and all it has done is cause you grief. As I said in the "Iraqi Nazi's behead children" thread, maybe you should look at the problems in your own backyard, and the problems you have created, before you try and "help" people that didn't ask for it. And maybe you should plan for the future instead of living in the here and now. You are reaping what you have sewn, I'm sorry to say.

And thats what I think about that.