Another huge leftist protest

Via Shane Bradley comes this story of a huge left-wing protest:
A small band of protesters has gathered outside the Prime Minister's Sydney office to call for the release of Australian hostage Douglas Wood and the withdrawal of Australian troops from Iraq.

Greens Senator Kerry Nettle says John Howard is not listening to his constituents.

Senator Nettle says Australians want to see Douglas Wood safe and Australian troops brought home.

"John Howard said yesterday he is taking personal responsibility, well that's right," she said.

"He got us into this mess and he needs to think seriously about the decision he has made that are putting the life of this Australian citizen, Douglas Wood in threat and in danger."
It must've been huge, because nobody can put an exact number on the amount of troops - not even the AAP, who sometimes send multiple reporters to cover rallies. But how big are the lies involved in promoting this protest? Really, really big. This warrants a fisking:
Dear activists,

By now you would have all heard the disturbing news that Australian citizen Douglas Wood is being held hostage in Iraq where he was working as a private contractor.
Of course they would've heard about it, because it's great news for the left - another reason to protest.
While our thoughts are with Douglas and his family at this very distressing time, there is a very obvious way that the Australian Government can save Douglas: bringing the Australian troops home.
Because appeasement worked really well in the past, didn't it? Ask the Phillipines or Spain, they'll surely agree with you. Surely!
While we do not in any way support the taking of hostages, we also do not support the Howard Government using the lives of people like Douglas and the hundreds of men and women deployed to Iraq as sacrificial pawns in its power game with the US for resource and geo-political supremacy.
Actually, it's the terrorists who are using Douglas as a pawn in an attempt to get the troops out. But a good fact-reversal never hurt anyone, right?
Removing Australian troops from Iraq would not mean "giving in to the terrorists".
So when the terrorists demand you do something, and you do it, it's not giving in to their demands? Wow, I never knew that.
Rather it would recognise that it is the presence of occupying troops in Iraq that has augmented the violence in that country. It would recognise the fact that, according to the US' own polling, over 95 percent of Iraqis oppose the occupation, with almost as many supporting active resistance of the occupation.
This is just a laughable statement that requires only a quick glance at the facts to debunk - I found only one poll that came anywhere close to their claims - and that was that marginally over half believed that some or all attacks against coalition forces could be justified. A long way from 95%, and that was pre-war. So lets look at some results from polls of Iraqis that they didn't quote from:
- Only 12% feel they were better off before the war.
- 70% believe their lives will get better in the next 5 years.
- 62% believe that the country is headed in the right direction [post-election poll].
- Only 9% of people believe the insurgency is doing the best thing for Iraq.
- Only 12% of Iraqis want the troops to pull out immediately [post-election poll], down from 57% two years ago.
- Over 93% support "severe" action taken against the insurgency [post-election poll].
It's a very far cry from the "Everyone in Iraq hates the US line" taken by the protestors, but they've never let the facts stop them from peddling their propaganda.
It would allow Australian resources to be directed towards supporting real reconstruction of Iraq by Iraqis rather than legitimising the building of US bases and protecting foreign multinationals seeking a piece of Iraq's economic pie.
Because letting the insurgency do whatever they want is pretty much the same as rebuilding Iraq - let the insurgency blow it up, and then they'll rebuild it? I don't understand the lack of logic here, but I think that's the point.
In this climate it is clearly foolhardy to place Australian troops and contractors currently in Iraq in such obvious danger; it is positively reckless to send additional troops to the same fate.
Of course, it's not fair to put Australians in there to help rebuild Iraq, we should leave it up to Iraqis who don't have the money, the equipment or the resources. Yep, that's the attitude of the left who really love Iraq.
The Howard Government, as part of the Coalition of the Willing, already has the blood of over 100,000 Iraqis and hundreds of foreign troops on its hands. Don't let them add Douglas to the list.
The debunked Lancet study again. Is there a lie they won't propagate to push their agenda?

No, no there isn't.

(Cross-posted to The House Of Wheels.)

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