Iraqis know who to trust on major global security issues

Labor should heed the warnings of Iraq's top security official about the dangers of an early withdrawal of Australian troops from Iraq.

Praising as "brilliant" the work of Australian forces in helping confront the difficult security challenges facing his country, Iraq's National Security Adviser, Muwafaq al-Rubaie, told ABC radio today that Iraq remained at the forefront of the struggle against global terrorism.

Mr al-Rubaie said Labor's policy of pulling out forces from Iraq early next year would be "extremely dangerous".

Mr al-Rubaie said Iraq's security forces were aiming to take control across all of Iraq's provinces by the end of this year. But, in an explicit repudiation of Labor's policy of surrendering to the terrorists and extremists in Iraq, he warned any premature talk of withdrawing coalition forces could jeopardise these efforts: "We don't want to interfere in the internal politics of Australia but we believe that any precipitous withdrawal of troops is going to ... create a vacuum."

Labor should listen carefully to what Iraq's leaders are saying. Mr al-Rubaie speaks with intricate local knowledge of the factors contributing to the violence and terror in his country. If the federal Opposition is concerned about how best to end the bloodshed in Iraq, as distinct from chasing cheap headlines with populist "troops home" rhetoric, they should attempt a more sophisticated, and sympathetic, understanding of the strategic challenges facing Iraqi authorities.

As an example, Mr al-Rubaie rejects Labor's insistence that the conflict in Iraq is a civil/sectarian war which has nothing to do with terrorism. In fact, as he points out, al-Qaeda and its affiliates in Iraq have been pursuing a deliberate strategy to foment violent unrest and division. The aim of the recent appalling terrorist attacks in Baghdad, Kerbala and elsewhere was to trigger reprisals by Shi'ite militia.

This accords with the Australian Government's own assessment of the nature of the security threat to Iraq. It is in stark contrast to Labor's puerile populism, exhibited again yesterday by the rash, ill-informed and immature statements of Opposition defence spokesman, Joel Fitzgibbon.

It should surprise nobody that Mr al-Rubaie speaks warmly of the relationship with the Australian Government. The people of Iraq need resolute and principled support from the international community if they are to succeed in their efforts to counter the gruesome attacks on their society by terrorists and extremists.

Sadly, the people of Iraq are learning that Labor cannot be trusted on these vital security questions.

Media Inquiries: Mr Downer's office 02 6277 7500