Allies - Australian forces are

Allies - Australian forces are in action in Iraq:

General Cosgrove (an Australian Military spokesman said RAAF F-18) Hornets were continuing to escort coalition planes, including airborne early warning aircraft and air-to-air refuellers above Iraq.

General Cosgrove said they were currently flying 12 sorties a day.

"And while they have had some close encounters with enemy anti-aircraft artillery ... none of our aircraft have been hit and they've all completed their missions," he said.

Gen Cosgrove also said a contingent of SAS [Australian Special Air Service - their special forces] troopers had engaged in a firefight with Iraqi soldiers in a command post which they discovered deep inside Iraq.

He said the SAS soldiers had been on a reconaissance mission when they came across the concealed command and control post.

"I'm delighted - relieved - to report that there were no Australian casualties," Gen Cosgrove said.

SAS troops gave first aid to Iraqi soldiers injured in a skirmish in the opening stages of the war, Gen Cosgrove said.

He said Australia's special forces had been involved in four battles since the war began and there had been no Australian casualties.

Some people on the left sneer that we only have two allies. When you remind them that we actually have 45 allies, they sneer a little harder "well, only two are supplying troops".

Hm. During the Cold War, at times it was just us.

With allies like the UK and Oz, I don't feel so bad at all. Andrew Sullivan calls this new axis the "Anglosphere" - a loose union of people based not on the English language, but on the English legal and political traditions of rule of law and due process.

More on the war tomorrow.

Posted by Mitch at March 21, 2003 09:26 PM