Australia has expelled an Iraqi diplomat because of security concerns. Foreign affairs minister Alexander Downer says Ibrahim Aares has until Wednesday to leave Australia."We have reason to believe that he's associated with the Iraqi Intelligence Agency and he is assessed by our agency as an Iraqi intelligence officer. His activities are incompatible with a status of a diplomat," Mr Downer said. "We do have real security concerns about his activities and our decision is based in particular on an assessment made by ASIO (Australian Security Intelligence Organisation)." The diplomat has been based in Australia's capital, Canberra, since late last year.
| Now he can go home and help defend Tikrit... |
Meanwhile, Prime Minister John Howard has refused to rule out committing Australian troops to a war against Iraq, with or without UN backing. Speaking before leaving for New Zealand for diplomatic and trade talks, Mr Howard said he did not want to pre-empt any decision by the UN Security Council. "For me to rule anything in or out at the present time is patently absurd and robs this country of the flexibility it ought to have to take decisions when all the known facts are available to the government," Mr Howard said. The Australian government has sent 2,000 troops to join US forces preparing for a possible war in the Gulf, but has not yet committed them to military action.
| Howard's got guts. He can also remember that Australians were attacked, just like Americans were... |
|