Threats forced evacuation of Australians in Iraq: Hill

[Barrett808]

Australian civilians working in Iraq were moved out of their hotel and in some cases out of the country after intelligence was received about a threat to their safety, the Defence Minister, Robert Hill, said in Washington on Tuesday.

The threat, in intelligence received by Australian military officers, came just a week before the terrorist bombing of an Italian military police contingent in Iraq and followed attacks on Polish and Spanish members of the US-led coalition.

The hotel housing the Australian civilians, who are working with the Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA), is in an area where other hotels had been threatened.

"There were some suggested threats and that's why our civilians for some time were moved out of this particular hotel," said Senator Hill, who visited Iraq on his way to Washington.

Most of the Australian civilians, who work in the agriculture and treasury ministries, had returned to their rooms but "a handful that were out of the country were still waiting for to settle down before they return", Senator Hill said.

(more)

http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2003/11/19/1069027196672.html

[Rebel_with_a_cause]

1. Predictable.

Let's see. Since * left for the UK, one Iraqi "government" official was shot/killed and the Aussies have been targeted and are evacuating.

*'s visit is destined to make its mark in unfortunate ways.