Diplomatic history of Australia the democratic world. In a country gripped by this fear, the government's defence policy was dominated by the idea of "forward defence", in which Australia would seek to prevent the Communist "thrust into South-East Asia". The committal of troops to the Vietnam War was viewed as an attempt by the Menzies Government to strengthen the alliance with the USA following Great Britain's withdrawal "east of Suez". With his arrival in October 1966, Lyndon Baines Johnson became the first US President to visit Australia. The visit came in the light of increasing international criticism over the war in Vietnam. The majority
State visit of Elizabeth II to the Republic of Ireland an Uachtaráin, and launched the Millennium Gold Encounter for Ireland's Gaisce – The President's Award. Prince Philip also visited Dublin on 26 April 2006, again for the Gaisce Awards and met Bertie Ahern. Taoiseach Enda Kenny linked the visit to the Good Friday Agreement being put into full effect. The Queen was welcomed by Irish President Mary McAleese. The First Minister of Northern Ireland and Democratic Unionist Party leader Peter Robinson said the visit was "a sign of the normalisation of relations between our two countries", while the leader of Sinn Féin, Gerry Adams, said he did not "think this