Beazley calls for Iraq 'quagmire' exit strategy

Federal Opposition Leader Kim Beazley says the Prime Minister must start planning a strategy to get the Australian troops "bogged down in a quagmire" out of Iraq. His comments come after the release of a report by the British-based Iraq Body Count and Oxford Research Group, which says that nearly 25,000 civilians have died in Iraq since the US-led invasion in March 2003.

He says the exit strategy should be negotiated between Australia's allies.
"We should sit down with our allies - and if we were in government we would do this - and work through with them so we didn't inconvenience them, the bringing home of Australian troops," he told Adelaide radio 5AA. "I don't put time limits on it, but we would bring them home, the exception being those that are guarding diplomats."

Mr Beazley says the Federal Government should have thought about an end point before going into the conflict. "They now find they and their ally are now bogged down in a quagmire which has seen the killing or maiming of 10,000 young Americans, not to mention the large number of people who've died in Iraq," he said. "Now frankly the time has come for all the powers involved to have an exit policy and we need one as well." Mr Beazley made the call while touring a call centre in Adelaide.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200507/s1418375.htm

President George W. Bush and Laura Bush receive Miss Beazley, their new Scottish Terrier puppy, from breeder Bill Berry on the South Lawn of the White House Jan. 6, 2005. Miss Beazley is a birthday present from the President to Mrs. Bush. Beginning life at the White House in proper fashion, Miss Beazley's started her first day with a press conference.