International Rescue!

Transcript of last night's Lateline interview with Brendan Nelson aka 'Virgil'.

Defence Minister backs PM's stance on Obama.

F*cking hilarious stuff.

Tony Jones points out that Obama's 'bolt like a bull from a china shop' strategy, which Howard pooh-poohed, mirrors that of Baker's Iraq Study Group, which at the time of its tabling Howard reckoned was A-OK.

TONY JONES: I take it you've studied Senator Obama's plan for troop withdrawal, have you?

BRENDAN NELSON: I haven't seen the detail of the plan. I've had it reported to me and I've seen a summary of that plan, as I understand it, Tony.

TONY JONES: Well, as I understand it, the Obama plan is actually based on the phased withdrawal idea that was actually put forward by the Iraq Study Group, which, of course, was led by the former Republican Secretary of State, James A. Baker. His interests and those of terrorists aren't coincident, are they?

BRENDAN NELSON: There are two things. Firstly, the Baker-Hamilton Study Group, amongst other things, emphasised that if America leaves Iraq prematurely it would be catastrophic for the Iraqis, the region and indeed the global struggle against terrorism. As I also understand it, Senator Obama's so called plan does not give credence to the conditions under which withdrawal occurs, that instead it sets, if you like, artificial deadlines and timelines.

TONY JONES: But aren’t those deadlines and timelines exactly the same as the key recommendations of the Iraq Study Group's, which we'll just remind ourselves, was a phased withdrawal of 15 US combat brigades, about 70,000 US troops, starting this year and ending in the first quarter of 2008?

BRENDAN NELSON: You need to remember a couple of things Tony. Firstly, that the recommendations of the Baker Hamilton Study Group have been quite studiously-considered by the US administration...

See the difference?