*Ø* Aussie defence bosses call Howard's Iraq bluff

"A number of serving defence force officers shared the concerns of a group of 43 former defence chiefs and diplomats who wanted a return to truth in government, retired defence chief General Peter Gration said today.

"Mr Gration, who headed the Australian Defence Force from 1987 to 1993, said he and the other signatories believed Australia joined the invasion of Iraq on the basis of false assumptions and deception of the Australian people ...

"The signatories to the statement include former defence force chief Alan Beaumont, former defence department secretary Paul Barratt, former prime minister's department secretaries Alan Renouf and Richard Woolcott, plus and former ambassadors including Rawdon Dalrymple, Stephen Fitzgerald and Ross Garnaut."
Source: Sydney Morning Herald