It is madness - can we be sure that he really is being sent there?  Iraq is such a desperate, filthy and out of control civil war - all sides are blowing each other up and nobody is safe.

The insurgents would love to capture Harry.  They could demand anything they wanted - first and foremost - get the Americans out!

Oil behind Iraq war: Government
July 05, 2007 09:27am
http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/story/0,22049,22021230-5001021,00.html

THE Federal Government has admitted the need to secure oil supplies is a factor in Australia's continued military involvement in Iraq.

Defence Minister Brendan Nelson today said oil was a factor in Australia's contribution to the unpopular war as "energy security" and stability in the Middle East would be crucial to the nation's future.

Speaking ahead of a key foreign policy speech today by Prime Minister John Howard, Dr Nelson said defence was about protecting the economy as well as physical security - and it was important to support the "prestige" of the US and UK.

"The defence update we're releasing today sets out many priorities for Australia's defence and security, and resource security is one of them," he said.

"The entire (Middle East) region is an important supplier of energy - oil in particular - to the rest of the world.

"Australians and all of us need to think well what would happen if there were a premature withdrawal from Iraq?"

Dr Nelson said the primary reason for Australian troops remaining in Iraq was to prevent violence between the Sunni and Shia population, and to bring stability to the region.

Mr Howard is to today rule out a withdrawl of combat troops from Iraq. The Australian newspaper reports he will insist our 550-strong force will stay until the Iraqi Government says they are no longer needed.

"We're also there to support our key ally - that's the United States of America - and we're there to ensure that we don't have terrorism driven from Iraq which would destabilise our own region," Dr Nelson added.

"For all of those reasons, one of which is energy security, it's extremely important that Australia take the view that it's in our interests ... to make sure we leave the Middle East and leave Iraq in particular in a position of sustainable security."

Isolationism would not make Australia safer, he said.

When Australia joined the US-led invasion force of Saddam Hussein's Iraq in 2003, the Government said it was primarily because Iraq had weapons of mass destruction that could pose a threat to the US and its allies.

Opposition Leader Kevin Rudd will outline a section of Labor's foreign policy today in a speech in Sydney.

oil was not the reaosn we went to war. There was a mass murdering madman named sadam hussain.

oil is cheap, compared to the price of waging a war. We still have to buy it anyway.



"the primary reason for Australian troops remaining in Iraq was to prevent violence between the Sunni and Shia population, and to bring stability to the region. "
"We're also there to support our key ally - that's the United States of America - and we're there to ensure that we don't have terrorism driven from Iraq which would destabilise our own region," Dr Nelson added.

"For all of those reasons, one of which is energy security, it's extremely important that Australia take the view that it's in our interests ... to make sure we leave the Middle East and leave Iraq in particular in a position of sustainable security."

Isolationism would not make Australia safer, he said.  "



oil is only a minor consideration.

At best it is the difference in price of oil under a "US" iraq, or a "nonUS" iraq they are looking at.