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CANBERRA - Struggling in the polls and facing his toughest opponent in years, Prime Minister John Howard has attacked a leading American presidential candidate's plan to withdraw US troops from Iraq.
Mr Howard's claim that terrorists would be cheering for victory by Democratic candidate Barack Obama has sparked a furious row within Australia as its role in Iraq increasingly becomes one of the Government's liabilities in the run-up to this year's elections.
Most Australians now want their troops to come home.
Mr Howard's remarks also brought criticism from both sides of American politics.
The row also follows mounting criticism of Mr Howard's tough stance on Australian Guantanamo Bay inmate David Hicks and polls showing Australians believe the Prime Minister has become too closely aligned with US President George W. Bush.
Mr Howard, who has resolutely backed Mr Bush's policies in Iraq and refused to set a timetable for the withdrawal of Australian troops, used Senator Obama's pledge to pull out of the Gulf by March 31 next year to help push national security to the fore in an election year.
He said a US withdrawal would strengthen Asian terror groups such as Jemaah Islamiyah, responsible for the Bali bombings.
"I think that will just encourage those who want to completely destabilise and destroy Iraq, and create chaos and a victory for the terrorists to hang on," he said.
"If I were running al Qaeda in Iraq, I would put a circle around March 2008 and be praying as many times as possible for a victory not only for Mr Obama but also for the Democrats."
Senator Obama said he was flattered by the attack by "one of George Bush's allies on the other side of the world", and belittled Mr Howard's commitment to the war.
"I would also note that we have close to 140,000 troops in Iraq and my understanding is Mr Howard has deployed 1400," he said.
"So if he is to fight the good fight in Iraq I would suggest that he calls up another 20,000 Australians and sends them to Iraq - otherwise it's just a bunch of empty rhetoric."
Mr Howard's attack has also drawn criticism from Democratic senators, and a warning to stay out of US politics from Texan Republican Senator John Comyn.
Within Australia, Mr Howard has been attacked by Labor and the Greens, and criticised for interfering in American elections.
Labor Leader Kevin Rudd, now preferred over Mr Howard as next Prime Minister, told Sky News the attack on Senator Obama could damage the US alliance.
"I think Mr Howard went too far," he said.
"When we're dealing with something as important as the US alliance, Labor and Liberal leaders need to be very careful about what we say because we'll be dealing with an [American] Administration of either political persuasion in a year or so's time."
Labor regards Iraq as an Australian foreign policy failure and will pull the nation's troops out, but only after consultation with the US.
Mr Howard remained unrepentant, accusing Labor of hypocrisy.
"I think the Labor Party is wanting to have double standards," he said.
"It's okay to attack Bush on Iraq because they don't agree with him, but it's not okay for me to attack Senator Obama's position on one aspect of Iraq, because they hold to that view themselves."
A poll yesterday showed Labor has gained a 16-point lead in the two-party preferred vote that decides Australian elections.
