JOURNALIST:
Prime Minister how did you find the patients today?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well both of them were in incredible high spirits. I was quite moved and inspired by meeting Gillian Hicks. She was talking to me about her wedding plans later in the year. She is an absolute inspiration given what she's been through and the wonderful support that she has received from her admittedly, small family. Her brother came over straight away and his wife and children are going to join them at the weekend and she was a reminder of the extraordinary capacity of the human spirit to overcome such a tremendous physical and psychological shock that she has suffered. She was extremely complimentary, as were both of them, about the medical assistance they have received. Both Gillian and Louise are very complimentary about the medical assistance and they have also spoken very warmly of the assistance and advice and counsel and help of the Australian High Commission and I would like to record my thanks to Richard Alston and all the staff of the High Commission that have worked so hard and magnificently to help the Australians that have been caught up in this terrible outrage.
JOURNALIST:
I believe that Louise Barry enquired as to whether the blasts were Iraq related. What is your response to that?
PRIME MINISTER:
My response to that was the response that I've given whenever that question has been asked. I gave no different response to her than I've given to anybody else.
JOURNALIST:
Mr Howard what was your response?
PRIME MINISTER:
My response? Well my response, well I didn't believe it was.
JOURNALIST:
Mr Howard did either of the ladies speak to you about their feelings towards the people who perpetrated this atrocity?
PRIME MINISTER:
They didn't specifically raise that obviously they were both distressed that people, extremely distressed that people have such hateful and malicious attitudes towards their fellow human beings.
JOURNALIST:
Prime Minister you have advice that tells you that this not related to Iraq?
PRIME MINISTER:
No I didn't say that, I was asked my view and I've given my view.
JOURNALIST:
Is it your view that the motivation of the London bombings...
PRIME MINISTER:
I think the motivation is the same as the motivation of the people who murdered 88 Australians in Bali which took place before the Iraq war, the motivation that murdered 3000 people in the World Trade Centre on the 11th September 2001 which took place before the Iraq war and that is a perverted, twisted and totally immoral depiction of extreme Islam. I think that is their motivation.
JOURNALIST:
But how can you say Prime Minister that Iraq does not now feed into that motivation?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well I can only express the view that the motivation behind all of these attacks is a motivation based on perverted ideology. I don't think it is event specific. I think it is an attitude and mind of a section of, a fanatical section of the Islamic community.
JOURNALIST:
You don't think the presence of Australian, US and British troops in Iraq has anything to do with what's in the minds of these people who have committed...?
PRIME MINISTER:
Jim, I can not put myself in minds of people anymore than you can. I can only express a view based on empirical evidence and the empirical evidence is that these foul motivations did dreadful things before the Iraq war.
JOURNALIST:
Were you surprised by Louise Barry's inquiry...?
PRIME MINISTER:
I beg your pardon?
JOURNALIST:
What would you say to the assertion that the Iraq war has not made terrorist attacks any less likely on this country...?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well I think all I can say to that is to again remind you that terrorist attacks occurred before Iraq was on the radar screen and those people who argue as your question implies, this is really because of Iraq, completely ignore those facts.
JOURNALIST:
Does it help...?
PRIME MINISTER:
Is that a question or an expression, is it an expression of an opinion? I believe that terrorism is based upon a perverted ideology, I don't believe it is event specific, I think it is based upon a perverted ideology and the evidence supports that very very strongly.
JOURNALIST:
Does it concern you that Louise Barry, a victim of the London bombing thinks that the bombings are because of Australia, Britain and the US involvement in Iraq, what do you say to those victims?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well it doesn't concern me because we live in a democracy and there are people who have that view just as there are people who don't have that view, and the fact that she might have that view; it's part of the scene - equally a man who was a captive, was a hostage in Iraq, namely Douglas Wood has expressed strong support for Australia's involvement in Iraq. Now all that indicates is we live in a democracy where there is a range of views, I have my view, others are entitled to different views and I have never ignored the fact that there are people who have different views about our involvement in Iraq than I do and its ever been thus. I don't find that remarkable at all, it doesn't disturb me.
JOURNALIST:
How did you explain your view to Louise Barry?
PRIME MINISTER:
In the way I have explained it to you now.
JOURNALIST:
Did the women say they were keen to stay on in London still or did they want to return to Australia?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well I think you should really ask them what they want to do for the rest of their lives, it's not for me to make those...
JOURNALIST:
So they didn't say anything to you?
PRIME MINISTER:
We talked about their future but I don't think I have the right to sort of announce those things, that's a matter for them, it's a gross invasion of their privacy.
JOURNALIST:
Prime Minister you spoke at some length about Gillian Hicks at the beginning of the press conference, could you give us your impressions of Louise Barry as well?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well I thought both of them were quite remarkable but the reason I spent a little more time with Gillian was that her injuries were more traumatic and more dreadful. They have both gone through an awful experience but she has of course suffered double amputations and self evidently, I was very moved by the tremendous spirit she displayed and the sense of optimism and hope that she demonstrated about her life into the future. I am always touched when people who have been through such terrible experiences can have such positive outlooks on life. I think it is a lesson for all of us.
JOURNALIST:
Mr Howard now that you are closer to Europe, do you think that you might go to Germany to see the Australian cyclists?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well I think it's difficult, it's difficult at this stage, I am not insensitive but let's have a look at that, but I think it's quite difficult.
Thank you.
[ends]