Australian Greens leader Senator Bob Brown was also scathing in his criticism of the US president. "How dare this popinjay of a president interfere in Australian affairs - Australian domestic political affairs? He should pull his head in," said Dr Brown in a statement to the Australian Broadcasting Corp's) World Today program. "The Australian people are quite able to judge our political leaders and the diversity of opinion in this country, and we don't need President Bush, from his biased and quite small-minded point of view in Washington, telling the Australian people what they should think or what they should do."
http://atimes.com/atimes/Front_Page/FF15Aa04.html

Terrorism debate in Australia
Australian Federal Police Commissioner Mick Keelty created a political storm after the Madrid bombing by implying that it had been a direct result of Aznar's support for the war in Iraq. Interviewed on Channel Nine's Sunday program, Keelty replied to a question asking whether he thought a similar type of attack could occur in Australia by saying, "The reality is, if this turns out to be Islamic extremists responsible for this bombing in Spain, it's more likely to be linked to the position that Spain and other allies took on issues such as Iraq. And I don't think anyone's been hiding the fact that we do believe that ultimately one day, whether it be in one month's time, one year's time, or 10 years' time, something will happen [in Australia]."

Believed by many commentators to have been threatened with dismissal after a call from the Prime Minister's Office, Keelty backed down, stating to the press that he believed his views has been taken "out of context" and agreed with government statements that Australia had been a terrorist target well before September 11, 2001.

John Pistole, the US Federal Bureau of Investigation's executive assistant director for counter-terrorism, agreed with this analysis in an interview on Sydney's Radio 2UE. "I would agree with the statement that an attack is likely inevitable. Any Western nation that is not an Islamic state is a terror target for al-Qaeda ... any country that allies itself with the US, unfortunately, is a target."

With the majority of the Australian public now disagreeing with the way the war is being prosecuted, Iraq policy may hold the key to success or failure at the ballot box.