The skirmish as to whether Julia Gillard or Tony Abbott is
playing politics with the Opposition Leader's recent visit to
Afghanistan overlooks a more important issue. For the first time
since the outbreak of World War I in 1914, Labor is attempting
to present itself as more supportive of the Australian army in
the field of battle than its political opponents.  On The World
Today last Tuesday, Sabra Lane reported that the Prime
Minister's advisers had pointed out that Abbott was offered a
seat on the RAAF plane that took Gillard to Afghanistan but he
had declined. The line seemed to be that the Prime Minister had
given priority to visiting the Australian Defence Force at war
but the Opposition Leader had other commitments.  Since then,
Abbott has visited the Australian forces who are part of the
Special Operations Task Group in Oruzgan province.  Gillard and
Kevin Rudd both opposed Australia's involvement in the Coalition
of the Willing that invaded Iraq in 2003 and overthrew Saddam
Hussein and his regime. In