The Lesson of the ANZACs: "It was, predictably, used by the Australian Prime Minister John Howard to bolster support for the increasingly unpopular occupation of Iraq. In a move that has done little to silence the popular idea that Howard is merely a crony of George W. Bush, he traveled to Baghdad for the day to greet the troops in a move similar to Bush's own Thanksgiving Day appearance. In his address, the Prime Minister declared:

"'You are seeking to bring to the people of Iraq who have suffered so much for so long, the hope of liberty and the hope of freedom, and your example, your behavior, your values, belong to that great and long tradition that was forged on the beaches of Gallipoli in 1915.'

"The idea that an ongoing Australian presence in Iraq against the wishes of the Iraqi people can be somehow justified by invoking a World War I battle is both cynical and disingenuous. It ignores the realities of the Gallipoli campaign, which, if they are to hold any lesson, hold that sometimes it is better to "cut and run.""

"Tens of thousands of young men died for one simple reason: the British were not prepared to "cut and run." They remained stubborn and obstinate despite facing what was clearly a battle that could not be won. Far from being an argument for a continued Iraqi occupation, the experience makes a powerful argument against "staying the course" in an increasingly dangerous and hostile land. The lesson of the Anzacs is that when we fight for anything other than our own national interest then the price that must be paid will always be too high."

The Lesson of the ANZACs: "It was, predictably, used by the Australian Prime Minister John Howard to bolster support for the increasingly unpopular occupation of Iraq. In a move that has done little to silence the popular idea that Howard is merely a crony of George W. Bush, he traveled to Baghdad for the day to greet the troops in a move similar to Bush's own Thanksgiving Day appearance. In his address, the Prime Minister declared:

"'You are seeking to bring to the people of Iraq who have suffered so much for so long, the hope of liberty and the hope of freedom, and your example, your behavior, your values, belong to that great and long tradition that was forged on the beaches of Gallipoli in 1915.'

"The idea that an ongoing Australian presence in Iraq against the wishes of the Iraqi people can be somehow justified by invoking a World War I battle is both cynical and disingenuous. It ignores the realities of the Gallipoli campaign, which, if they are to hold any lesson, hold that sometimes it is better to "cut and run.""

"Tens of thousands of young men died for one simple reason: the British were not prepared to "cut and run." They remained stubborn and obstinate despite facing what was clearly a battle that could not be won. Far from being an argument for a continued Iraqi occupation, the experience makes a powerful argument against "staying the course" in an increasingly dangerous and hostile land. The lesson of the Anzacs is that when we fight for anything other than our own national interest then the price that must be paid will always be too high."