HOWARD’S HARASSMENT

President Bush will sleep less easily than normal this evening…

So the Prime Minister will be “harassing” the United States to commence the trial of David Hicks expeditiously? What a turn it is! What’s left of the Bush administration should be on notice. Their most obsequious and unquestioning of supporters on the international stage is wavering. He may be only cutting and running from his five year disinterest in David Hicks’ plight at this stage. But watch for more.

The Prime Minister has smelt a very ugly stench in the political wind. There’s David Hicks mixed up with greenhouse gases first. Watch out for some more nuanced positions on Iraq as the election approaches too.

Where is the Prime Minister who after his November 2006 APEC love in with W expressed his disgust at leaders that recant on previously held positions? Howard was even ready to say on Vietnamese soil that he saw no reason to revise his support for the Vietnam War. Howard may remain steadfast on Vietnam. I’m less convinced he’ll stay the course in Iraq – especially as support for the war collapses in the US Congress and throughout the country. The inevitable Howard repositioning on Iraq will be an extraordinary study in spin.