War's march wins Howard more friends

By GREG ANSLEY Australia correspondent

CANBERRA - The reality of Australians in combat and a campaign that Air Force chief Air Marshal Angus Houston says is proceeding to plan has begun to swing support behind Prime Minister John Howard's commitment to war against Iraq.

Mr Howard's political opponents have been hamstrung and divided by the need to clearly separate attacks on the Government from support for the troops on the ground.

Public sympathy for Australians in battle has also been bolstered by their lack of casualties so far, glowing praise from United States commanders for their work, and daily briefings on successful strikes by jet fighters, SAS commandos and warships in the Gulf.

Public support has also been flowing into Defence Headquarters in Canberra by email and fax.

Defence Force spokesman Brigadier Mike Hannan said yesterday that since last Friday more than 6500 messages of goodwill had been received.

"They include messages of support for the troops from a number of the leaders of groups openly opposed to the war," Brigadier Hannan said.

"They chose to write to us and express their support for our deployment of people."

Political analysts had expected opposition to soften once Australians moved into combat, and have predicted that Mr Howard's popularity will soar if the war is short, successful, with minimal casualties and producing evidence of weapons of mass destruction - the main justification for Australia's commitment.

Australian SAS soldiers called down an air strike and attacked an Iraqi installation at the weekend that may have been designed to launch ballistic missiles, but have so far found no evidence of chemical, biological or nuclear facilities.

Australia's part in the war has been given large play in the local media, especially successful raids by the SAS - including the destruction on Sunday night of a heavily armed Iraqi platoon - and missions by RAAF F/A-18 Hornets.

The Hornets have for the first time switched from escort duties to strike missions, leading other coalition aircraft on raids over Iraq with laser-guided 2000-pound bombs.

American commanders have singled the Australians out for praise, describing the SAS as among the world's most skilled soldiers and commending the RAN for intercepting an Iraqi bid to mine the waters of the Gulf.

The political dangers of appearing to criticise the troops has forced Labor leader Simon Crean into a delicate balancing act that now appears to have put him into direct conflict with a large section of his own party.

Although the Senate voted to bring home the troops - Labor's own position at the start of the war - Mr Crean now accepts their deployment as a fait accompli and instead hopes for a speedy, safe return.

But militant anti-war Labor backbenchers intend attacking Mr Crean at a caucus meeting today and insisting that he continue to pressure Mr Howard to recall Australian forces.

Anti-war demonstrations have also continued to draw tens of thousands of people into the streets, with several hundred yesterday storming the doors of Parliament House in Canberra.

Australia at war

* Public support for Prime Minister John Howard's commitment to the Iraq conflict may be firming.

* A Newspoll in the Weekend Australian showed a swing in sentiment, slashing an earlier 71 per cent opposition to the war to just 47 per cent, barely above the 47 per cent who now support Australia's commitment.

* Labour leader Simon Crean faces a revolt within his party from war opponents who want Australian troops recalled.