Howard's Iraq Decision Revisited | Australia News

On September 11, 2001, then-Australian Prime Minister John Howard received a pivotal briefing that would steer his nation into war. Told by his ambassador that the U.S. believed al-Qaeda orchestrated the attacks—with Osama bin Laden named—he was also warned this might revive focus on Iraq, despite no direct link to Saddam Hussein. Reflecting two and a half decades later, Howard insists Hussein wasn’t involved in 9/11 but acknowledges the Bush administration’s fears about WMDs falling into terrorist hands. Australia joined the invasion of Iraq in 2003, citing intelligence that convinced leaders like Howard and Blair Saddam hid deadly weapons...