Iraq Fighting Has U.S. Asian Allies on Edge

[Ironside]

Iraq Fighting Has U.S. Asian Allies on Edge



Japan vowed on Thursday to make no hasty decisions about its troops in Iraq after explosions near their camp, but renewed violence in the country kept Tokyo and Washington's other allies in Asia on edge as some U.S. senators and others raised the specter of "another Vietnam."

U.S. and allied troops have faced a dramatic surge of violence by Sunni and Shi'ite militants this week and the fresh bloodshed is likely to dominate talks during a trip to Asia by Vice President Dick Cheney beginning on Saturday.

Australian Foreign Minister Alexander Downer rejected comparisons to Vietnam, raised by Senator Edward Kennedy among others in Washington as well as by critics at home.

But he said Canberra, a staunch member of the U.S.-led coalition, wanted the outbreak of violence that has claimed more than 235 lives in three days to be quelled so power could be handed over to Iraqis by a June 30 deadline.

MORE on this story here!

I wonder who will follow Spain and drop out of Iraq.
This stinks!

And as you can see it isn't because of Senator Kennedy's comment. It's because of the continued and even escalating violence in Iraq. Things appear to be getting worse, rather than better as the deadline approaches to turn the Iraq Government over to the Iraqis.

We need more time and more troops. Preferrably International Troops!