"Four years ago next week we invaded Iraq, and John Howard plans a big speech to mark the anniversary. Howard talks about Iraq often, but he has not set out a detailed explanation of his policy since that week, when in three big speeches he explained why invading Iraq was a good idea.
Next week's speech will not be easy to draft. His staff will find little to help or inspire them in Howard's words of four years ago, when he talked a lot about Saddam Hussein's weapons of mass destruction; that does not make compelling reading today. Worse, back then Howard said not a word about what would happen after Saddam was gone. Back then he was saying Australian troops would be home in a few months.
So there are no lines from 2003 that Howard can quote next week to prove his prescience and vindicate his decision. So why make a speech to mark the anniversary? Presumably, this being an election year, Howard believes there is political benefit in doing so. National security has been central to Howard's projection of himself as a national leader, and to his ascendancy over his Labor opponents. Iraq is central to this. Mark Latham's rash promise in 2004 to bring Australian troops in Iraq "home by Christmas" destroyed his credibility on national security. Howard evidently feels he needs to sustain his ascendancy on Iraq to win another term."
So writes Hugh White, a visiting fellow at the Lowy Institute and professor of strategic studies at the Australian National University. Read White's full piece in the SMH today here.
Next week's speech will not be easy to draft. His staff will find little to help or inspire them in Howard's words of four years ago, when he talked a lot about Saddam Hussein's weapons of mass destruction; that does not make compelling reading today. Worse, back then Howard said not a word about what would happen after Saddam was gone. Back then he was saying Australian troops would be home in a few months.
So there are no lines from 2003 that Howard can quote next week to prove his prescience and vindicate his decision. So why make a speech to mark the anniversary? Presumably, this being an election year, Howard believes there is political benefit in doing so. National security has been central to Howard's projection of himself as a national leader, and to his ascendancy over his Labor opponents. Iraq is central to this. Mark Latham's rash promise in 2004 to bring Australian troops in Iraq "home by Christmas" destroyed his credibility on national security. Howard evidently feels he needs to sustain his ascendancy on Iraq to win another term."
So writes Hugh White, a visiting fellow at the Lowy Institute and professor of strategic studies at the Australian National University. Read White's full piece in the SMH today here.
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