Howard confronted by peace activists during his morning walk

SYDNEY, March 19 (IslamOnline.net & News Agencies) – Pro-war Australian Prime Minister John Howard on Wednesday, March 19, faced a bitter political onslaught in which he was besieged by protesters over his decision to commit troops to a U.S.-led invasion of Iraq.

He was also accused during a divisive parliamentary debate of recklessly exposing Australia to an increased risk of terrorist attack by following U.S. President George W. Bush into an un-mandated war half a world away, reported Agence France-Presse (AFP).

Although his conservative government's majority ensured the outcome was not in doubt, MPs on both sides pitched into a rancorous slinging match in which Howard was described as a puppet of Bush.

Dogged for weeks by anti-war protesters, Howard was also forced Wednesday to leave home by a back door as demonstrators blocked the front gates of his official Canberra residence.

Greenpeace activists protesting the decision to send 2,000 Australian troops into battle chained themselves to the gates and to vehicles blocking the entrances of the residence.

They carried banners proclaiming "Howard's war -- a bloody outrage" and "John Howard -- war criminal" in a peak-hour protest that caused major traffic congestion on one of Canberra's major arterial roads.

Howard confronted a small group of demonstrators as he left for his routine morning walk, then challenged them when he returned, telling one: "I'm entitled to my opinion, you're entitled to yours."

Later the protesters prevented him leaving for nearby Parliament House by car, forcing him to use a pedestrian gate to reach a waiting car.

Greenpeace spokesman Shane Rattenbury said the protesters were symbolically placing Howard under house arrest.

"The prime minister said yesterday not to have an argument with the Australian troops and to bring the beef to him," Rattenbury said.

"That's what we have done here, we've brought it here to the PM's house to deliver the message that Australians don't want this war in Iraq.

"It's not our war. It's immoral, illegal, and Australians shouldn't be there."

Howard said later he believed it was important as prime minister to interact with people, but he condemned protesters who behaved stupidly or broke laws and said they would be judged accordingly by fellow Australians.

He said he did not feel his personal security was threatened by the growing anti-war movement, adding: "Obviously appropriate security arrangements have got to be made but it was a peaceful demonstration and people have got a right to do that."

"It's not our war. It's immoral, illegal, and Australians shouldn't be there," charged pacifists

Opposition Labor leader Simon Crean stepped up his attack on Howard, saying it was the first time in its history that Australia had joined as an aggressor in war "and it's the first time that we've gone to war without bipartisan support."

"It's when you narrow yourself to a small group, a coalition of the willing, that's when you expose yourselves to greater risk," Crean told Sky News.

Defense Minister Robert Hill rejected suggestions that Australia had been exposed to increased terrorist risk, saying he had seen no evidence of it, although Australia was already a known target.

Australia has sent 2,000 military personnel to join an Iraq invasion by a reported 255,000 U.S. and 45,000 British soldiers, sailors and airmen.

On Wednesday, March 19, Howard said he did not anticipate a flood of refugees from post-war Iraq, but any seeking refuge would have to apply through the normal channels.

Australia would take its share of genuine refugees but he expected that regime change would result in a flow of people back to Iraq.

"There's no change to our policy and that is that if people seek admission to Australia as a refugee they have to go through the channels," Howard said.

"And I'm quite certain that if there is a refugee surge, which incidentally I doubt will occur, I think it will be in the other direction, I really do."

All asylum seekers would be judged according to their entitlement for refugee status, the prime minister said.

He would not speculate about the number of refugees or how many Australia would take except to say it would play a role.

"I'm not sure that you will have a new wave of Iraqi refugees," he said. "There's a very strong argument that if the existing regime goes a lot of people will want to go back to Iraq rather than to leave Iraq."

War To Break Out Thursday

Australian Foreign Minister Alexander Downer said on Wednesday, March 19, that there was "every chance the U.S. led assault on Iraq would begin the moment a U.S. deadline passes on Thursday.

Downer said Iraqi President Saddam Hussein was unlikely to respond to Washington's ultimatum that he go into exile by Thursday or face an invasion.

Asked if the war would break out as soon the 0100 GMT Thursday deadline passes, he said: "I think there's every chance that that's going to happen."

"Because what we were hoping was that Saddam Hussein would take advantage of the 48-hour ultimatum, but it doesn't look to us as though he is going to take advantage of that - that he's going to stick it out."

Australian peace activists, unions and community and religious groups have announced plans for mass protests across the country as soon as war erupts. 

Australian anti-war protesters Tuesday painted "no war" on one of the giant sails of the world-renowned Sydney Opera House.

Two young men were arrested after they breached security and scaled the building to paint the large slogan in red paint, Australian police said.

Opera House chief executive Norman Gillespie said a security camera had captured images of two protesters scaling the Concert Hall sail armed with long rollers and paint.

It was not known if the paint could be easily removed, but work would begin immediately to get rid of the slogan.

"Whilst we appreciate the right of every Australian to make peaceful protest, we think this is a totally unacceptable way of doing it," Gillespie said.