PRIME MINISTER7
TRANSCRIPT OF NEWS CONFERENCE, PARLIAMENT HOUSE, 21
DECEMBER 1989
E 0 E PROOF ONLY
PM; Just a statement, no questions?
JOURNALIST: What did Mr Bush have to say to you this
morning when he called you, Mr Prime Minister?
PM: Well he explained the circumstances of the military
intervention by the United States. Of course, let me say
that the Government regrets any circumstances where
intervention by a military force occurs. However, I want
to make it clear as I did to President Bush when he rang
me this morning, that we do understand the circumstances
under which the United States did intervene. It will be
appreciated that on the 15th December the Panamanian
National Assembly which is of course under the control
of General Noriega -declared Panama to be in a state of
war with the United States and gave full powers in those
circumstances to General Noriega. The following day an
unarmed, off-duty American serviceman was killed and this
was followed by the harassment of other United States
personnel, including threats to the wife of one of those
personnel. Those were circumstances which were such that
S the United States believe they couldn't tolerate any
longer. The White House has outlined and the President
confirmed to me the limited aims of the intervention.
They are firstly, to safeguard American lives. Secondly,
to restore democracy in Panama and further, of course, to
protect the integrity of the Panama Treaty obligations.
The position is that the organisation of American States
and the other governments including Australia, have
rejected the Noriega regime. There will be no intention
of course, for the United States to stay in there for any
longer period than to achieve the limited and specific
objectives which they have outlined. It's also
significant to understand I believe, that the Panamanian
representatives who were elected by democratic processes
in May of this year have indicated their support for the
Untied States action and those representatives, as we
understand, have been sworn in as the legitimate
representatives of Panama. Now those are the
circumstances, some of which of course we were publicly
aware of and which have been now confirmed to me by
George Bush in the personal conversation he initiated
with me this morning. I repeat that the Government of
Australia regrets any circumstances where this sort of
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military intervention is necessary but in the
circumstances we understand the necessity that was
perceived by the President and the Administration of the
United States to take this action.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, have you had any advice on
whether any Australian citizens might be in Panama at the
moment? PM:. I've had no specific advice of any I guess it's
certain that there would be some Australian citizens
there. But I've had no advice of any in danger.
JOURNALIST: Did you receive any information of Noriega's
whereabouts? PM: No. At this stage the President was not aware. He
said that to use his language there were any number
-of rabbit-holes into which he may have been able to
scurry. of course it is the intention of the United
States to apprehend him and of course if possible to take
him to the United States to face the drug charges that
are levelled against him there.
JOURNALIST: Will Australia be taking any diplomatic
initiatives in support of the American action?
PM: Well I would think that a clear statement I've made
of an understanding of the position is to be seen and is
intended to be seen as supportive.
JOURNALIST: inaudible
PM: No. I prefaced by the remarks I made here that we
regret any circumstances that do arise where military
intervention occurs and of course there'll be many
circumstances in which one wouldn't support it. But I
have indicated that we do understand that in the
circumstances with which the President of the United
States was faced, they had no alternative. I mean you
have the situation where unanimously the Panamanian
National Assembly declared Panama in a state of war with
the United States. I may say that the President
indicated to me that the fact of them declaring
themselves at war with the United States hadn't induced a
great sense of panic in the United States but when that
was followed as it was, by the killing of an off-duty and
unarmed American serviceman and then significant
harassment of other United States personnel and including
threats of a sexual nature to the wife of an American
citizen, then a position had been reached in the context
of that declaration of a state of war where the United
States felt it could not tolerate that position any
longer. And of course what we've got to understand is
that there were these elections in May which were
internationally observed and the observers indicated that
those elected had been elected as a result of proper
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process. That process was overthrown, rejected by
General Noriega.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, in May Senator Evans said
there will be serious issues of principle if America were
to turn up intervention his words a notch or two.
There have been certain things that have changed since
then but aren't there still issues of Panamanian
sovereignty involved here?
PM: You have a situation in line with what the Foreign
Minister said. I mean I don't think anyone is going to
say that a declaration of a state of war on the part of
Panama is an insignificant circumstance,. a very
significant change of circumstance. But as the President
said, that of itself was not enough to initiate action.
But when following that state of intention on the state
of war on the part of Panama against the United States
was then followed by the absolutely inexcusable killing
of an off-duty and unarmed American serviceman, you have
a very, very significant change of circumstances.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, did President Bush indicate
what he would think was an acceptable time for the US to
be-in Panama?
PM: He indicated that he didn't want to be in there any
longer than was necessary to achieve the limited
objectives. ends