MCCAIN PRAISES AUSTRALIA FOR NEW TROOP CONTRIBUTIONS TO IRAQ
Senator John McCain (R-AZ) today released the following statement:
"The government of Australia, having already demonstrated its commitment to freedom and democracy in Iraq, recently announced that it will deploy 450 additional troops to Iraq. At this difficult yet hopeful time in Iraq's history, and when several coalition members are scaling down their deployments, Australia's troop increase is laudable. I thank the people of Australia for their sacrifices, and I applaud their commitment to the Iraqi people.
"I fully agree with Australian Prime Minister Howard's comment that this is not the time to be talking about withdrawal, this is the time to be providing encouragement and reassurance and saying to the people of Iraq we are with you in this great embrace of democracy.'
"The new Australian task force, which will provide security for Japanese forces in southern Iraq and training for Iraqi forces, is emblematic of the kinds of tangible contributions that will help determine Iraq's future. The issue before the world's democracies is no longer whether one supported military action against Saddam Hussein. Rather, it is about helping the Iraqi people establish their own country, in a new era of stability and democracy. The assistance Iraq requires includes troops and hardware, but is not limited to those. From technical assistance to training to financial help, the ways in which countries can help the Iraqi people is limited only by the creativity of donors. The Government of Australia understands this very well, and I hope that its example will prompt others to be generous. I am convinced that Australia has earned the lasting gratitude of the people of both Iraq and America."
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