E&OE……………………………………………………………………………………
KING:
We now welcome to Larry King Live, from Perth, Australia the Prime Minister of Australia, John Howard. John is just back from meeting with President Bush and the others in Shanghai and he’s in Perth to bid farewell to Australian troops joining the war on terrorism, appearing there with Kim Beazley who’s running against him in the election. I guess this is a popular move in your country to send these troops is it not Mr Prime Minister?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well there’s very strong support throughout the Australian community for this country joining the United States and others in the fight against terrorism because we saw the attack on the 11th of September as not only an attack upon the United States but also an attack upon countries such as Australia. And it’s not just a because more than a score of Australians died in the World Trade Centre, that was sad enough, but the way of life we have is shared in very large measure with the way of life that the people of the United States and other free countries have and we don’t have the naive view that if we just roll ourselves into a little ball and go away in a corner somehow or other this challenge will pass us by. It won’t and this is an occasion for free people to stand together and to present as united a front as possible against terrorism.
KING:
This is an enactment of a Treaty that was signed right after World War II right?
PRIME MINISTER:
Yes. What we have done is to invoke the ANZUS Treaty and that as the acronym suggests was a Treaty signed in San Fransisco in 1951 between the United States, Australia and New Zealand. And that Treaty commits the parties to, in the event of an attack upon the metropolitan territory of any signatory, to consult and to regard that as an attack upon one’s own territory and we have invoked the ANZUS Treaty and that has been done and that has been invoked in the name of all the things that the ANZUS Treaty stands for.
KING:
What is the extent of Australia’s military help Mr Prime Minister?
PRIME MINISTER:
We’re sending in all about 1,550 personnel, that’s about 150 special forces. We’re sending four FA18 fighters which are going to be based in Diego Garcia. We’re going to have them reconnaissance aircraft, some Orions, and we’re also going to have some refuellers and we’re going to have a command vessel which will have a frigate escort and we already have in the Gulf, we have a vessel there, so it’s quite a significant commitment. There’s nothing nominal or token about it and it’s very commensurate with our size and there’s a very strong commitment in Australia to joining the Americans and others in this campaign against terrorism.
KING:
One of the world’s great friendships the United States and Australia. We understand you had a little anthrax anxiety of your own last week?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well there has been a very serious anthrax scare. Thus far there have been no examples of a potent substance being sent through the mail, but there have been quite a lot of hoaxes and we’re naturally watching with some concern, care and anxiety of what is occurring in your country.
KING:
You met with President Bush in Shanghai, and the other leaders, we didn’t get, did you condemn Bin Laden or not? Have you condemned him by name?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well he was not named in the resolution, but there was little doubt that the mood of the meeting, although the response and the contribution of different countries varies, there was a very strong view amongst all of the leaders about the need to cooperate very strongly in the fight against terrorism. I thought the strength of the criticism of it by the Russian President was very significant. Naturally when you get a group of countries like that you’re going to have a variety of responses, but they were all highly critical and I think President Bush was entitled to go away from that meeting, as I did, feeling that it was a very important statement. Everybody turned up. I think it’s very important that world leaders go to meetings and demonstrate unity and a sense of purpose at a time like this.
KING:
Thanks for spending these moments with us. The Prime Minister of Australia who by the way met with President Bush on September 10th, one day before a day that will live forever in infamy to quote a past president.
[ends]