Want another little clue about how well things are going in Iraq? The Diggers are leaving...and that's a very good sign.
The Australians announced today that they are withdrawing 500 combat troops from Iraq and are heading back home.About 1,500 of them will remain in Iraq to continue to help train the Iraqi army and police force.
While most Australians wanted their troops home,Australia is probably our staunchest ally, and they've fought shoulder to shoulder with us in every war we've been in since WWI...including Vietnam. Most of them understand what being a true friend and ally is all about, and there's no way Australian PM Mark Rudd would have been able to justify pulling them out to the Australian public at large unless it was clear that things had progressed to the point where a removal would not effect things unduly. Nor do I think Rudd would have wanted to do so himself, and he said as much during the Australian election campaign.
Unlike the Brits in Basra,or in the Persian Gulf, the Diggers didn't pull out at a crucial juncture and leave a mess for the Americans and Iraqis to clean up. Nor did they whinge and complain about it once they were there...they came in, did their job superbly and are now headed home with honor.
And as I said, this is just another signpost that things are going well in Iraq, no matter how the dinosaur media tries to spin it.
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