TRANSCRIPT OF DOORSTOP, GARDEN ISLAND, SYDNEY,
12 NOVEMBER JL990
E 0 E PROOF ONLY
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, are these ships entering a
more dangerous situation than the previous two ships?
PM: Well they get there at the beginning of December and
it's difficult to say what the situation will be then.
It's our hope that with the accumulating evidence and the
determination of the rest of the world that the
leadership ofE Iraq will come to the understanding which
would be the intelligent decision that they must withdraw
because the world is not going to accept their annexation
of Kuwait. .1 hope that realisation will dawn.
JOURNALIST: Do you accept that war is now more of a
possibility -than it was probability than it was
before PM: Well I -think you would have to say that with the
time that's passed and the refusal of the leadership of
Iraq to withdraw that it does look somewhat grimmer than
the situation before. One had hoped that the evidence
that was available then would lead the leadership of Iraq
to withdraw. That evidence of that being the sensible
course has accumulated since then and yet we haven't had
the withdrawal. But I still remain hopeful that there
will be a peaceful resolution of this matter.
JOURNALIST: Do you expect a conflict before Christmas?
PM: I'm not talking about expecting a conflict and I
don't go to that.
JOURNALIST: Are the sanctions working, Mr Hawke?
PM: Well the sanctions are working in the sense that the
economy of Iraq is running down very, very considerably.
There is reduced food supplies there. So the impact is
very, very considerable and the combination of the impact
that there is already on Iraq, together with the evidence
of the determination of the rest of the world not to
allow the annexation of Kuwait to stand, as I say, should
lead the leadership of Iraq to the conclusion that the
only sensible decision in the interests of their own
people is to withdraw.
JOURNALIST: Would you be prepared to reassure these
sailors and their families that if there is an escalation
they won't be left there alone?
PM: The people on these ships and the ones that are
there know the commitment of this Government to ensure
that all decisions would be taken which were appropriate
in the circumstances to ensure the maximum extent
possible the effectiveness of our contribution and the
safety of those involved.
JOURNALIST: What are the families telling you?
PM: Well it's very interesting. There's the natural
human emotion of sadness at parting but overwhelmingly
combined with that there is the expressed conviction that
their boys have a job to do and that they're proud of
them. JOURNALIST: Do you have any comments on David Lange's
comment this morning in the Sydney Morning Herald?
PM: Not at this stage. I will have later.
JOURNALIST: Should Mr Uren be going to the Gulf?
PM: That is a decision for Tom to make. Just let me
make this point that the European Council of Ministers
considering this matter recently have made a unanimous
decision that it is not appropriate for official missions
to go in regard to hostages and that has been accepted
and adopted unanimously by our colleagues who are
involved in this exercise. If private individuals go
then they go not with the sanction, as it were, of
governments but we understand their reasons for going and
we accept their integrity and if they have some success
then for those who are released, that's a great joy.
Although for the great majority who are left behind it's
a matter of mixed emotions I guess. But there is the
very firm unanimous conviction that at the official level
there cannot be comfort or stature given to Saddam
Hussein by people going and meeting with him because this
is a man who has broken all the rules of international
law and behaviour in holding these people as hostages and
they all should be released.
ends