Australian PM defeated

Australia's Prime Minister John Howard was defeated in recent parliamentiary elections. Howard was a staunch ally with the US under the Bush Administration. He clearly and passionately believed that going after the terrorists in Iraq was the appropriate way to defeat terrorism as a global strategy. The US may have lost Australia as an ally but gained the support of France and Germany who after recent elections are supporters of the US and Bush Administration. Australia announced that it plans to pull out of Iraq.