FAINE:
Prime Minister, thank you for your time.
PRIME MINISTER:
Good morning Jon.
FAINE:
Saddam Hussein, do you want him dead or alive?
PRIME MINISTER:
Jon, I want the Iraqi regime disarmed, I want Iraq disarmed. The question of what happens to Saddam Hussein to me is incidental. The aim is the disarmament of Iraq, and the objective of the operation to which we are now committed is the enforcement of the demands of the international community over many years that Iraq be disarmed.
FAINE:
Understanding that....
PRIME MINISTER:
It seems to me axiomatic that if Iraq is disarmed as a result of this operation which I believe it will be then of course the regime will go. The question of what happens to the Iraqi regime will be a matter of the processes of international law in these circumstances and I'm not going to get into some kind of word game because I know that's the sort of headline that people are after and I'm not going to play that game. It's too serious for that.
FAINE:
Well indeed it's not a game and it's not a game for us, it's not a game for them. But I'm just saying....
PRIME MINISTER:
No, I'm not talking about the military operation. I'm talking about the character of your question with respect and you know that.
FAINE:
If Saddam Hussein....
PRIME MINISTER:
Can we talk about the substance of the issue rather than....
FAINE:
Well I have a number of questions Prime Minister. If Saddam Hussein is captured what do you think should happen to him?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well I think he should be dealt with in accordance with the law in those circumstances.
FAINE:
Which law?
PRIME MINISTER:
International military law.
FAINE:
But it's America that's declined to submit to the jurisdiction of the international criminal court.
PRIME MINISTER:
Well can I answer that question, that doesn't mean to say other rules apply.
FAINE:
But if America captures Saddam Hussein, and that is the most likely scenario I'm sure you'd agree, will America pursue Saddam Hussein under American law because they've declined to accept the International Criminal Court and its role that it could play.
PRIME MINISTER:
Well I find it extraordinary that the morning after the announcement's made this is your preoccupation. I find that quite extraordinary. I think many of your listeners would find....Look what I'm saying to you is very plain Jon, and you know it, that if Saddam Hussein is captured then I believe he should be dealt with in accordance with a proper procedure. Now beyond that I'm not going to get into detail because I don't think the world's concern will be exclusively devoted to him.
FAINE:
I think a fair amount of concern is directed to what are the rules here and the procedures to be followed and my question....
PRIME MINISTER:
Do you think the main concern of the world this morning is the rules that will apply to the treatment of Saddam Hussein?
FAINE:
No, the main....
PRIME MINISTER:
Well actually Jon I'm glad to hear that. It sounded very much to me as though that was your concern. I've got to say to you I think that is extraordinary.
FAINE:
Prime Minister, my main concern [inaudible] going over the same ground that's been gone over in great detail in the last two days.
PRIME MINISTER:
But you keep asking me, I mean you keep asking me about Saddam Hussein. I mean I'm amazed that your preoccupation should be with whether or not he gets a fair trial. That's essentially what you're talking about isn't it, that's what you're trying to come at? That's extraordinary. I really do, I find that quite amazing.
FAINE:
Well I don't want to simply go over the same....
PRIME MINISTER:
I've given....
FAINE:
.....[inaudible] that's been covered in great detail in your interviews with the press corps over the last few days.
PRIME MINISTER:
Well I mean maybe your listeners, this is the first interview I've had with you. I mean you may have heard it all before and I will go over the issues that are relevant. The fact that I may have gone over them before is not a reason not to go over them again. What is important to the Australian public are the reasons why we are engaged, not the type of military or other law under which Saddam Hussein may be tried if he's captured. I just find it amazing that that is your first question, I really do.
FAINE:
Yesterday I spoke to a group of high school students at lunch time Prime Minister. Their first question to me was : Iraqis haven't killed Australians, why are Australians going to kill Iraqis?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well it is often the case if military conflict breaks out it will break out between people from countries that may not previously have been involved in a military operation. I mean we were involved in the 1991 Gulf War. That was not as a consequence of any military action that had been taken against Australia. I dare say a group of year 12 school students might well have asked the same question then. Now I'm not saying the circumstances of 1991 are the same as they are now, I'm not alleging that. I'm simply making the point that that kind of situation is often the case it really goes back to the justice or otherwise of whether we should be involved and I know you may not want to talk about that again because you've heard me talk about it before but it is still relevant, it is the fundamental issue and the fundamental issue at stake here is whether the world allows a country like Iraq to retain chemical and biological weapons because if we do, other rogue states will try and get hold of them. The more countries that have them the greater is the likelihood that international terrorists will seek to use them or get hold of them and seek to use them.
FAINE:
President Bush says the terrorist threat to America and the world - quote-