*Ø* Blogmanac | Labor quizzes Govt over knowledge of Iraqi abuse

Australia: "With revelations today that the Federal Government was alerted to allegations of prisoner abuse in Iraq earlier than it's said, the Federal Opposition is demanding new answers about who knew what and when.

"A report in today's Fairfax press says an Australian military officer in Baghdad was aware of allegations last October, and passed on the details to the Government in his regular reports.

"The Government has said it was not aware of the reports of prisoner abuse until this year.

"The Opposition says the Government must explain the apparent contradiction ...

" ... the Democrat's leader Andrew Bartlett is highly suspicious.

"ANDREW BARTLETT: The Federal Government all the way along with the prisoner abuse scandal has tried to wash its hands of any responsibility, even moral responsibility, let alone legal responsibility.

"They've tried to pretend that we're not an occupying power, they've tried to pretend that we've never arrested anybody, so it wouldn't be surprising at all if there were Australians in Baghdad aware of this, that the Federal Government would have ignored any information they would have got.

"If the report's true, then it shows the depths of disregard that our Government has got for basic rights ..."
Source: The World Today

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US Iraq commander urges Australia to stay
"A senior US commander in Iraq is urging Australian troops to remain in the country, despite predicting that the security situation will worsen ...

"Brigadier General Mark Kimmitt says Australian forces should remain, despite a car bomb explosion near the Australian diplomatic mission in Baghdad earlier this week."
Source: ABC (Oz) News