Fed: Labor warns Iraq could become another Vietnam

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Fed: Labor warns Iraq could become another Vietnam

By Peter Jean

CANBERRA, Aug 30 AAP - Iraq could become another Vietnam if the security situationdid not soon improve, Labor said today.

Labor foreign affairs spokesman Kevin Rudd condemned a car bombing in the Iraqi cityof Najaf which killed 82 people including Iraq's top Shi'ite Muslim political leader,Ayatollah Mohammad Baqer al-Hakim.

"This bombing brings into absolute focus the massive challenge of maintaining domesticsecurity in Iraq during the period of control by the Coalition Authority as the occupyingpower," Mr Rudd said.

"If this security deficiency is not met, there is a grave danger of Iraq, in time,becoming another Vietnam."

Mr Rudd said Australia, as one of the three powers who went to war with Iraq, had aresponsibility to ensure law and order was maintained in the country.

"If Australia is unable to provide further direct assistance in the provision of securityforces because of deployments in the Solomons, that does not absolve the Howard governmentof responsibility to ensure that security is maintained in Iraq," Mr Rudd said.

He said Prime Minister John Howard should lobby the American and British governmentsto increase security in Iraq.

"Mr Howard has been remarkably silent as the security situation in Iraq deteriorates,he needs to outline to the Australian people what concrete measures he has put in placewith other states and the UN to ensure our obligations as an occupying power are met,"

Mr Rudd said.

"In the absence of direct Australian security assistance, Mr Howard's responsibilityis to guarantee as an occupying power that other states, including the US and the UK,are filling the gap."

AAP pj/sjb/br

KEYWORD: IRAQ BOMB RUDD