I live in Sydney, Australia - in fact I live in Bennelong electorate, our not-so-illustrious Prime Minister's electorate.

Here is part of an editorial in our local paper:

'Prime Minister John Howard has committed Australian Defence Forces in support of United States military in the Middle East as a threat to attack Iraq.

Fewer than ten percent of a survey in last Sunday's Sun-Herald supported the Prime Minister's stance. Most could not see it was so urgent as officials generally agree Iraq does not have the resources to use such weapons if they do exist for at least three to five years.

....The main argument the Americans have used is rhetoric with very little factual evidence. The "axis of evil" claim blew up in the president's face when one of his former speechwriters claimed authorship for it. And then President Bush withdrew his threats against North Korea even though they have claimed and are known to possess deadly weapons.

This can only further the cries by the sceptics that the oilfields of Iraq have a greater priority.

Our Prime Minister's chief concern appears to be by his own admission that it is to suck up to our prime defence alliance partner and friends. But you don't buy friendship. And certainly not with the blood of your sons and daughters in the services.

....Whether Iraq has terrible weapons of mass destruction isn't really an issue. We all know they've had them because the USA gave them to Iraq when they were supporting Saddam Hussein in his war against Iran. USA's current big mouth Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld personally visited Saddam Hussein in the process. Now the Americans have swapped sides (as they have disastrously in other areas of conflict such as Afganistan). Any wonder many people are cynical and disbelieving?

A letter to The Times of London the other day by a former Army officer Simon Edwards said that among all his former officer friends and associates none of them supported a war with Iraq.

He quoted a Gulf War brigade commander Major-General Patrick Cordingley that "the knowledge that your country is behind you is as important to a serviceman as food and drink" - shades of Vietnam!

....In the same edition of The Times in the leading Letter to the Editor, Field Marshall Sir John Stanier says "It is my reluctant conclusion that until the United States shows herself to be a caring and committed participant in combating the woes of the world, her military options will only regenerate terrorism."'



This newspaper is also conducting a poll, and the result will be known in a couple of days.

There are 10 yes or no questions.

*Do you believe Australia should be sending troops to attack Iraq?
*Do you support Australian involvement without UN sanctions?
*With UN sanctions?
*Should Federal Parliament debate the issue first?
*Do you believe Iraq is a threat to world peace?
*Should more time be given to UN investigators?
*Have President Bush or PM Howard convinced you Iraq has so-called "weapons of mass destruction"?
*Should Saddam Hussein be allowed voluntary exile if he agrees?
*Is Iraq a bigger threat to world stability than North Korea?
*Is oil an issue?

The feeling I'm getting is that the number of people in Australia against the war and our involvement in it, is climbing daily as the prospect looms closer, and would be a higher percentage now than the 61% that Ard Mhacha heard of. The New York Times certainly got it wrong.

This is shaping up to be another unpopular war like Vietnam, but this time, the consequences are likely to be more dire.

Anyway, I'll be marching in a protest on Saturday, along with other members of my choir. But who knows - it might be too late by then!

Jenny