Australian troops who served in Iraq were celebrated at a welcome home parade yesterday that also marked the withdrawal of the country’s combat operations in the war zone.
Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd was among thousands who attended the parade through the northeastern city of Brisbane, which was partly closed down as some 700 troops in desert camouflage uniforms and the Australian army’s distinctive “slouch” hats marched by.
“Today the Australian nation says thank you to you, the men and women of the Australian Defense Force, for your service in Iraq,” Rudd told the troops.
PHOTO: EPA
CAMPAIGN PROMISE
Australia, one of just three countries to send troops to join the US-led invasion of Iraq in 2003, this month ended combat duties for its soldiers. Rudd was elected last year on a promise to bring Australia’s 500 combat troops home.
About 1,000 Australian troops remain in the Middle East in roles supporting the Iraq occupation. Australia also has about 1,000 troops in Afghanistan.
The troops that marched yesterday all served in southern Iraq, where the Australians held key security roles and undertook training of Iraqi forces. Just one Australian soldier died in Iraq, in an accidental shooting.
“These soldiers went to a troubled part of the world, suffered privations, but rolled their sleeves up and represented us in the great traditions of the ANZACs and the values of modern Australian society,” said Brigadier Steve Day, commander of the 7th Brigade that served in southern Iraq.
SOURCE OF PRIDE
ANZACs were Australian and New Zealand forces that fought in a landmark battle at Gallipoli, Turkey, during World War I.
While the British Commonwealth forces lost the battle, their conduct is a source of pride for Australians.
The parade was the first of three to welcome home troops who served in Iraq that will be held in cities with big military bases.
The others will be held next Saturday in Darwin, and then on July 20 in Townsville.
In the sweltering streets of Jakarta, buskers carry towering, hollow puppets and pass around a bucket for donations. Now, they fear becoming outlaws. City authorities said they would crack down on use of the sacred ondel-ondel puppets, which can stand as tall as a truck, and they are drafting legislation to remove what they view as a street nuisance. Performances featuring the puppets — originally used by Jakarta’s Betawi people to ward off evil spirits — would be allowed only at set events. The ban could leave many ondel-ondel buskers in Jakarta jobless. “I am confused and anxious. I fear getting raided or even
Eleven people, including a former minister, were arrested in Serbia on Friday over a train station disaster in which 16 people died. The concrete canopy of the newly renovated station in the northern city of Novi Sad collapsed on Nov. 1, 2024 in a disaster widely blamed on corruption and poor oversight. It sparked a wave of student-led protests and led to the resignation of then-Serbian prime minister Milos Vucevic and the fall of his government. The public prosecutor’s office in Novi Sad opened an investigation into the accident and deaths. In February, the public prosecutor’s office for organized crime opened another probe into
RISING RACISM: A Japanese group called on China to assure safety in the country, while the Chinese embassy in Tokyo urged action against a ‘surge in xenophobia’ A Japanese woman living in China was attacked and injured by a man in a subway station in Suzhou, China, Japanese media said, hours after two Chinese men were seriously injured in violence in Tokyo. The attacks on Thursday raised concern about xenophobic sentiment in China and Japan that have been blamed for assaults in both countries. It was the third attack involving Japanese living in China since last year. In the two previous cases in China, Chinese authorities have insisted they were isolated incidents. Japanese broadcaster NHK did not identify the woman injured in Suzhou by name, but, citing the Japanese
RESTRUCTURE: Myanmar’s military has ended emergency rule and announced plans for elections in December, but critics said the move aims to entrench junta control Myanmar’s military government announced on Thursday that it was ending the state of emergency declared after it seized power in 2021 and would restructure administrative bodies to prepare for the new election at the end of the year. However, the polls planned for an unspecified date in December face serious obstacles, including a civil war raging over most of the country and pledges by opponents of the military rule to derail the election because they believe it can be neither free nor fair. Under the restructuring, Myanmar’s junta chief Min Aung Hlaing is giving up two posts, but would stay at the
RSS