Rudd in first political brawl

New Opposition leader, Kevin Rudd, is involved in his first major political brawl, with Prime Minister, John Howard accusing him of supporting premature withdrawl from Iraq. Mr Howard yesterday accused Mr Rudd of lacking guts and courage on Iraq.

Mr Rudd today said Mr Howard had no exit strategy for Iraq and that he was backing a military strategy which was not working.

"Guts and courage doesn't lie in sending the sons and daughters of Australian families to fight a war with no exit strategy in mind for them," he said. "Guts and courage also lies in rising to the challenge of a nationally televised debate on his alternative plan for Iraq and mine, and guts and courage lies in telling the Australian people what's his strategy for winning the war."

Earlier today Mr Rudd unsuccessfully tried to get a parliamentary debate on the Governments Iraq policy. Mr Howard successfully attacked former Labor Leader, Mark Latham, when he called for withdrawl of Australian troops three years ago.

The issue was ignited again after Mr Howard attacked US presidential hopeful Barack Obama's Iraq policy to withdraw troops by March 2008.

This is the date the bi-partisan Iraq study group suggested as the time for the US to pull out of Iraq.

Yesterday Mr Howard labeled Mr Rudd gutless for dodging questions about the consequences of an early US withdrawal from Iraq.

Mr Rudd today said his policy would be a withdrawal of Australian forces, in consultation with the Americans at the end of a six-month troop rotation.