re: alan- - israeli intel 'exaggerated' iraq wmds
apart that your post is becoming abusive again, GET the below from the JEWish sources, now how you can question that, you yidiot ?
Jerusalem Post - 25th May 2003
FRIENDS DOWN UNDER http://www.join.org.au/media/Friends-Down-Under_200305251.htm
By : Colin Rubinstein
Friends down under By COLIN RUBENSTEIN
A couple of weeks ago US President George W. Bush revealed something surprising about the beginning of the Iraq war.
It did not begin with the much-talked about "decapitation strike" on a Baghdad meeting including Saddam and his sons on March 19, as widely believed. The first shots were actually fired a day earlier on March 18. And those doing the firing were not Americans or even their British allies. They were Special Air Services (SAS) forces from the third military partner in the coalition Australia.
Moreover, while many Israelis are probably unaware that Australia even participated in this war, recent revelations about the until now secret activity of the Australian forces make it clear that more than anything else it was the Australians who made it impossible for Saddam to fire Scud missiles at Israel as he had in 1991.
According to the chief of staff of Australia's Special Operations Forces, Colonel John Mansell, hundreds of SAS soldiers in Land Rovers and dropped in by helicopter penetrated into Western Iraq a full 36 hours before the bombing of Baghdad began. While they breached the guard posts and trench system undetected, they later ran into an Iraqi convoy, which they defeated, killing or capturing all members, in a sharp firefight. They then moved on to attack suspected missile sites inside Iraq.
However, it was the attack of the following night, which, according to Mansell, both "stirred up a hornet's nest" for the Australians and struck a major blow against Iraq's ability to launch Scuds against Israel.
Most of the SAS troops attacked a well-defended radio relay station, calling in an airstrike to destroy the tower. After this SAS forces were involved in constant heavy fighting with enemy forces clearly seeking them out, while the SAS met them head-on with "unpredictable shock engagements," leading to the destruction of several heavily armed Iraqi convoys.
The SAS continued to strike targets, including another command and control center and several surface to air missile launchers, as well as a Scud-launching site, according to some reports.By the end the first week of war the SAS had effectively neutralized all Iraqi opposition across a wide swath of Western Iraq, preventing any Scud attacks from there. And they did it without suffering a single casualty.
Another group of Australian SAS was flown 600 km. to carry out surveillance duties near Baghdad as the war began, the only troops placed so near the Iraqi capital. In addition, Royal Australian Air Force FA-18 Hornet aircraft were heavily involved in Defensive Counter Air missions and Australian navy ships and personnel were intensely involved in supporting the forces on the ground, as well as in clearing of sea mines.
Perhaps the most important achievement was when the HMAS Kanimbla intercepted Iraqi tugs carrying 68 concealed mines that were about to be released into the water against coalition ships.
Thus despite the fact that Australia's force in this war only numbered around 2,000, including 500 or so SAS, their unique abilities (and the Australian SAS is generally regarded as one of the best Special Operations units in the world) were important not only to overall war effort but especially to protecting Israel.
This was not without its risks and controversies for Australia.
The news of Australia's involvement in the clearing and securing of the potential Scud launching areas even led local Australian Arabist Prof. Amin Saikal, of the Australian National University in Canberra, to declare that Australian forces would become a target of suicide bombings by Palestinian Fedayeen forces due to the fact that "Australian special forces have been operating in defense of Israel ."
This warning is unlikely to phase the current conservative Australian government under John Howard, which is among the most friendly to Israel in the world. Howard, whose own emotional commitment to Israel's security and well-being has been demonstrated repeatedly, did not join the current war to protect Israel, but he will doubtless be proud to have had Australian forces playing a leading role in doing so.
AND INDEED, despite the distance Australia has long played an extremely honorable role in the Middle East. Many older Israelis will either fondly remember or have heard stories about the Australian troops present in Israel during World War II and the British Mandate, but Australia's regional role is actually significantly older than that.
During the World War I Australian forces, notably the Light Horsemen, joined with the British in an effort to roll back the German-supported Ottoman forces that had advanced almost to the edge of the Suez Canal.
The most famous battle of that campaign took place at Beersheba, where the mounted Australian Light Horse charged the Turkish lines in a desperate attempt to seize the vital water wells in the city. This, the last great cavalry charge in history, significantly undermined Turkish morale, paving the way for further victories.
Then, in 1940-41, when the overrunning of the Jewish community in Palestine was looking very probable with German forces passing through Vichy French Syria to the east and Italian and German forces advancing across North Africa, another counterattack campaign was launched in order to block this advance. The Australians forces, again at the forefront, were the majority of those involved, were certainly the most vigorous, and, as was the case 23 years earlier, led the allies into Damascus and Beirut.
Despite the distances involved and the apparent lack of overlapping interests, there seems to be a sort of affinity between Australia and Israel, almost an overlapping destiny.
Israelis should be grateful to US President Bush and his British ally, Tony Blair, for removing one of the biggest international threats to both Israel and the West and providing a glimmer of hope that Israel's neighborhood might take a significant turn for the better.
But also, please, spare a thought for other friends a little farther away from the major seats of power on which Israelis are normally focused, far away down under.
The writer is executive director of the Australia/Israel & Jewish Affairs Council.
now, whas that a smart moove from John Winston Howard ? does this moove expose Australia to the future terrorist attacks? and for what gain ? you need definitely more education, even as a pro-zionist you are way under-educated (even if your IQ is above Oz average, you stink)
