Reiterating Labor's support for the US alliance, the UN and Asian engagement, Mr Latham characterised the "Government's failure to influence the course of events in Iraq, both during and after the initial conflict and to prevent significant harm to our ally's standing" as the real cost of the Iraq war. On the US alliance, Mr Latham said Labor believed it should be able to have disagreements without the party being considered anti-alliance or anti-American.

"Most of America's alliances internationally accord with this model," he said, citing Canada's refusal to commit troops to Iraq and Norway's withdrawal this week.

"Unhappily for our country, the Howard Government has not been able to achieve this level of maturity in its management of the alliance," he said.


http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5744,10122039%255E601,00.html