‘End the pussyfooting’ — over at the Oz, they’re beating the drums for extra troops to Afghanistan, with the classic slogan from colonial wars. Enough fighting with our hands tied behind our back! No more constraints — let’s give those dusky savages some cold steel! As Obama begins his Afghan surge, expect more of this from the Australian Right — until, eventually, Rudd signs on.

Meanwhile, the Australian commitment to Afghanistan produces results familiar enough from the American commitment to Iraq:

FIVE children have been killed in a gunbattle between Australian special forces and Taliban militants in Afghanistan. […]

Asked if the children were being used as a human shield, General Evans said he did not want to speculate but noted that Taliban insurgents commonly operate “inside the civilian community”.

“We’re taking every measure we can to avoid civilian casualties,” he said. “It’s a pity that the Taliban doesn’t do the same.” He said the death of five children was a matter of “great concern”.

“It’s important our operations are done carefully and we do everything we can to avoid civilian casualties.”

All the lesser races use their children this way, don’t you know. If they’re not tossing their kids off refugee boats, they’re using their babies to attack harmless Israeli rockets. Why else would Afghans have children in their houses other than to smear the diggers sent to kill them?

Back in Iraq itself, the slaughter continues.