MITCHELL:
Mr Howard, good morning.
PRIME MINISTER:
Good morning, Neil.
MITCHELL:
It is extremely significant to take the airport, is it not?
PRIME MINISTER:
Yes, it does appear that things have moved very quickly over the last 24 hours. The apparent ease, and I stress the apparent ease with which the airport was taken, is a little surprising and to be very cautiously welcomed. I spoke to President Bush this morning at about half past, quarter past six our time and whilst because we were talking on an open line it wasn't possible to go into too much intricate detail, there's no doubt that the Administration, that he and the Pentagon, are feeling very positive at the present time, they're not being foolishly exuberant because I think all of us have to be realistic. We could still have ahead of us some very tough battles, but it does appear on any analysis to have moved very quickly over the past 24-48 hours. And I think what the Americans are probably doing, and this is an external observation, not based on any particular knowledge I have, I think what the Americans are probably doing is testing the extent of likely resistance and basing their tactics in relation to the rest of the campaign against Baghdad on the assessment that they make. But it has to be encouraging and if the reports of a more welcoming response from the local population are reflective of the mood of the whole community, then that is enormously significant. And it may suggest that the regime's grip is loosening and that would be tremendous.
MITCHELL:
What was the purpose of the phone call from the President?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well, he's ringing me on a regular basis to keep in touch and to talk about the progress of the military operation. He's immensely grateful for the support that Australia has given the United States, both diplomatically and also very significantly now that the military campaign's underway, the contribution of our forces is widely admired in Washington. They have done a superb job, he talked length about that again this morning. He told me of a meeting he'd had in North Carolina with the Australian wife of the marine who was killed and the girl... woman who came from Tasmania and he had met her and he is very deeply appreciative and full of admiration for what our men and women are doing over there. And, of course, that is fully merited, they are doing a first-class job. But he's ringing me on a regular basis and I'm in regular contact with Tony Blair as well, to talk about not only how things are going in the war, but also about the situation after the war is over. We talked about the need to maintain momentum for a lasting settlement between the Palestinians and the Israelis, that's something that I've been talking about for some time now and the Australian Government is very strongly committed to and it's one of the things that will be part and parcel of winning the peace, if I can put it that way.
MITCHELL:
The... is the President... or do you think that atmosphere is perhaps a little more confident now? There seems to have been a flat period for a week, is there a degree of confidence now?
PRIME MINISTER:
Certainly, he sounded confident and on the basis of what's publicly known he has reason to be. Neil, when you look back on it we've sort of gone through an inevitable period of ups and downs. There were, in the minds of some, completely unreal expectations that this war was going to be over in a few days.
MITCHELL:
Yeah, but the resistance did surprise, didn't it?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well yes, in some areas it did but in other respects, once again if you look back on it, it perhaps wasn't as great as an instrument of denying ground and denying progress as some people suggested. I don't know whether you've been following in the Melbourne Age regularly the contributions of John Keegan - the British Defence Correspondent for the Telegraph - and I think he's written some very effective material. And he made these sorts of observations this morning that when you actually look at it in bulk, there hasn't really been an organised military resistance. There has been certainly sporadic and, in certain areas, effective guerilla or Fedayeen resistance by the Iraqis and that, of course, has had an impact. But when you think of how long the first Gulf War took - 41 days after what, 37-38 days of bombing. When you look at what was required in Kosovo which was only an air campaign, that was 79 days. When you think of the period of time taken, even in Afghanistan, we're now what, in our 15th or 16th day and Baghdad Airport is apparently, at least some of it, in allied hands. And I want to stress, I'm not saying the Iraqi resistance is crumbling, I'm not saying... I frankly don't know and I don't think anybody quite knows at the moment. But I am saying that when you look at the period of time that's elapsed and what has been achieved, I think it has been quite a remarkable military achievement.
MITCHELL:
Once Baghdad is taken, does that mean the war is almost over?
PRIME MINISTER:
Not necessarily. There's a feeling that the regime, if it doesn't leave Iraq or if it's not captured or it's not destroyed, there are some people who believe he may decamp to Tikrit which is his tribal home, and there could be a further encounter there, that's one possibility but they don't know that and I don't think anybody quite knows.
MITCHELL:
But clearly the next few days are crucial to the way...
PRIME MINISTER:
It would seem that the next few days are very crucial. And just on all of the evidence that's publicly available, that does appear to be the situation.
MITCHELL:
Are Australian forces involved in the action around Baghdad?
PRIME MINISTER:
I don't talk about what our people are doing, but they're... let me put it, let me put it this way - they have had certain responsibilities, I'm talking about our ground force...
MITCHELL:
Yep.
PRIME MINISTER:
They have had certain responsibilities from the beginning of the operation and those responsibilities are continuing.
MITCHELL:
Are they all okay?
PRIME MINISTER:
As I speak and as I know, yes.
MITCHELL:
I did read today that our incident response unit was playing a role for preparing for chemical and biological warfare, are you able to say what they're doing?
PRIME MINISTER:
No.
MITCHELL:
Have you had any reports on the red zone, where Saddam was expected to use chemical weapons? I mean, presumably that's been crossed by now.
PRIME MINISTER:
It certainly has. It was a notional line, there was no physical sign marking it out. I've not had any indication as yet that chemical weapons are being used.
MITCHELL:
Mr Howard after the war, and we've talked already about the rebuilding or the continuing role after the war, could we face, could the world face a sort of another Northern Ireland situation here, could it be that ugly do you think?
PRIME MINISTER:
I don't believe so. The historic circumstances are quite different, the basis of the antagonism in Northern Ireland is tribal, or religious tribal. That is not the basis of any potential antagonism between the Iraqi people and the Americans and the British and us and others. We have no desire as a nation to occupy Iraqi territory, I want to make that very clear. Australia has no territorial designs on Iraq, we think the best thing that can happen is after an inevitably interim period of American led administration after the war finishes there has to be a transition to Iraqi rule, that will involve the United Nations just exactly what role has to be worked through, but certainly we've said all along there should be a role. And that is not resisted by the Americans, there may be debate about precisely what form it takes, how it comes about but this idea that the Americans are completely resistant to the involvement of the United Nations is not correct. They quite, understandably, having carried along with others, including Australia, the burden of the military campaign are not going to then just turn their backs and walk out and say well the United Nations, driven by countries that have been completely unsupporting of the Americans, will determine what happens to Iraq. I mean that would be, apart from anything else, not only unreasonable but also irresponsible.
MITCHELL:
We'll take a call for the Prime Minister, Frankie go ahead please.
CALLER:
Good morning Mr Howard. I'm the mum of an SAS soldier in Iraq and I'm going to sound very selfish I suppose because I want to know have you got any expectations of when that they will be coming home and is that in the near future please?
PRIME MINISTER:
Frankie, you're not being selfish. You're being a very natural mum. I don't think that's selfish at all. I wish I could tell you, I would bend over backwards to find a way of telling you if I knew exactly. All I can say at the present time is that your son is doing a fantastic job.
CALLER:
That's comforting.
PRIME MINISTER:
The latest news I have is that he, along with all the other men and women in our Defence Forces are safe and sound, I have to say as of I speak. Things are going better, they are moving fast and that must give us some hope that it won't be too long. But I don't want to mislead you, it might bog down, it can happen. I hope it doesn't and I hope he's back as soon as possible.
CALLER:
It's very interesting that 11 o'clock most days is the only time I get the opportunity to hear that they're okay and I wait and I wait on that. And the other thing I was going to ask you is there's been in Canberra a day for parents and staffers and things like that in Canberra, and also in Tasmania.
PRIME MINISTER:
Yes.
CALLER:
And I was wondering is there anything planned for Melbourne at some point?
PRIME MINISTER:
Yes, I'm working my way around the country, I'm doing one in Brisbane next week. In co-operation the State Governor has kindly offered to host that, General Arnison, and we're going to have one in Melbourne, I'm working on that and also I hope something in Western Australia.
CALLER:
Great. And can I just finally...
PRIME MINISTER:
And the first one, we had a great gathering on Sunday at Admiralty House and you know the greatest experience was on three separate occasions I was talking to somebody and their son or husband rang them on their mobile phone from the Gulf while we were having a conversation and on each occasion after they'd spoken to their mum and their sweetheart I was then able to talk to them.
CALLER:
Oh that is so nice.
MITCHELL:
Give them a shock wouldn't it?
PRIME MINISTER:
Yeah, poor bloke. And it was just good because it reminded us of the instantaneous character of communication and also reminded us, you know it's just an opportunity in a very Australian way to say thank you.
CALLER:
It does and can I say too thank you, you have given a really solid leadership throughout all of this and I support that and I know that my son over there does support that and for that it's good to have in these times a leadership that is very strong and I must say I love watching in Parliament Question Time.
MITCHELL:
Frankie, thank you very much.
PRIME MINISTER:
Frankie, God bless you and I hope everything's great, I hope he's back soon.
MITCHELL:
Frankie actually called earlier in the week Prime Minister, her husband, the father of this man in the SAS did two tours of Vietnam.
PRIME MINISTER:
Did he really?
MITCHELL:
Extraordinary. We'll take a break and come back with more for the Prime Minister.
[commercial break]
MITCHELL:
It is 10 to 9 - 3AW. A couple of quick issues for the Prime Minister. Prime Minister, Anzac Day. There are already some groups talking of the possibility of protests, anti-war protests around the Anzac Day marches. Now obviously you'd oppose that. But how do you stop it?
PRIME MINISTER:
I would be surprised if the great bulk of mainstream opponents, if I can put it that way, of our involvement in the war against Iraq, would support or be involved in protests on Anzac Day. I don't believe that. I know some of the people who hold a different view from me on this. I know quite a number. And they're not the sort of people who would support a protest on Anzac Day. They just are patriotic Australians. They have a different view from me on this. I think they're misguided, but that's democracy. I don't think they are going to sully Anzac Day by protesting. You might get a few people on the extreme fringes, but I would say to them - you don't win any marks by trying to turn Anzac Day, which is the most special day in the Australian calendar of an Australian character, into a day of protest.
MITCHELL:
Speaking of similar things, a bit of a terror warning around Gallipoli. Do you think...
PRIME MINISTER:
Well we have sent... a few weeks ago we sent a small team to Turkey to talk to the Turkish Government. Naturally of course, security on the Peninsula is the responsibility of the Government, and that team was fairly satisfied with the arrangements that were being made. It is being subjected to a security assessment, and that assessment is going on at the present time, and if there is anything further we need to say, then we will say it. It's become a very important event in the Australian calendar, but obviously it's an event that brings a lot of our young people in particular together in one spot, and if there are particular warnings that need to be given or particular notes of caution that need to be struck, well they will be given and those notes will be struck.
MITCHELL:
Bob Hawke today is saying we should still pull the troops out now. What is your reply to him?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well I don't agree with him. I think to pull our troops out now would in many respects be the worst of every world.
MITCHELL:
Should he not be making such comments at this stage though?
PRIME MINISTER:
It's a free country Neil. I defend to the end people's right to express their point of view, including former Prime Ministers.
MITCHELL:
Prime Minister, the meeting of the Australian Federation of Islamic Councils which you're due to address. There has been some objections from people, supporters of that group, saying that you're killing their Muslim brothers and sisters and shouldn't be there. They've threatened to boycott it. Are you still going to make that address?
PRIME MINISTER:
Oh yes, and I regard it as a very important opportunity to explain that our involvement in Iraq is not anti-Islamic. I was reflecting last night when I read one of these reports, that four years ago I went to some Greek National Day celebrations in Sydney and a section of the crowd near the main gathering booed me because at that particular time we were supporting diplomatically, although we weren't directly involved, the NATO bombing campaign against Serbia which was being carried out on behalf of the Muslims - I repeat, the Muslims of Kosovo - and because of the religious commonality, the orthodox religious commonality of the Serbians and the Greeks, there were some in that crowd who were pretty hostile to me. And on that particular occasion, we were diplomatically supporting the action being taken to help the Muslims of Kosovo. I just mention it to illustrate that we make these decisions based on what we think is in Australia's national interest. We don't do some sort of sum and say, well because there are more people who are nominally Christian or whatever, than there are Islamic, therefore we're going to support it on that basis, turn it into some kind of anti-Islamic campaign. It's not. We have no quarrel with Islam, and this will be a very good opportunity for me to make that very plain and to make it very plain that Arab and Islamic Australians are as much part of this community as anybody else, and they deserve to be fairly and properly treated.
MITCHELL:
Look, we're told that you're going to grant temporary visas to 1,600 East Timorese seeking permanent residency here. Is that right?
PRIME MINISTER:
We haven't made any such decision. It's an issue that's on the table and being examined, but we haven't made any decision.
MITCHELL:
And just on something else - is Geoff Clark, the head of ATSIC, is his future on the line now?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well, I think the Minister has indicated that he wants to see what comes out of the appeal and I don't really think I can add anything to that.
MITCHELL:
Another one quickly if I may. SARS - are we ready?
PRIME MINISTER:
Yes. We issued a health alert on this back on the 16th of March. The Chief Medical Officer, Dr Smallwood and the Health Minister, Senator Patterson, are having a news conference about it today. We believe that we are, because of our very strong public health measures, well and truly ready and will be able to cope rather better than most countries.
MITCHELL:
Thank you very much for your time. I think it's inevitably going to be a tense few days, so thanks for your time today.
PRIME MINISTER:
It's a great pleasure Neil.
[ends]