I swore that I would never get involved in the politics of this list, but bugger it! Australia is a close ally of the US. Indeed, we had special forces **inside** Iraq even **before** the Gulf War 2 started.
However, an Australian citizen who wants to enter the US has to be fingerprinted to get even a short-term visitor's visa. I cheered when Brazil reciprocated the regulation for US citizens entering Brazil, but we are too small a country and too close politically to the US to do the same (this statement is a euphemism). I've been to the US as visitor, to go to Academic Conferences, and once on Sabbatical for 3 months. But be damned if I'll go there again while the fingerprinting is in place and we have not introduced the same. It is the US's right to have such a regulation (although it doesn't seem to be in the nation's long-term interest), just as it is my right to shun visiting or passing through the US. Politically, Phil (yes from Australia of "Tampa" infamy) ############################################################################### Dr Phil Diamond [EMAIL PROTECTED] Department of Mathematics, University of Queensland, Brisbane,AUSTRALIA 4072. Tel +61 7 3365 3253 Fax +61 7 3365 1477
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