JQU S RALIA
PRIME MINISTER
E 0 E PROOF ONLY
PRESS CONFERENCE AT RAAF FAIRBAIRN 15 APRIL 1986
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, why didn't you pledge support for Mr
Reagan's action in Parliament?
PM: My statement was a statement which was relevant to the
circumstances. We were not advised in advance, asked in advance
for support. The statement was carefully calculated to convey the
position of the Australian Government and that is that we want
hostilities to cease. In a discussion that the Foreign Minister
and I have had and the information to which we had privy earlier,
we tried to convey our understanding of the circumstances which
had motivated the United States to take this action. And I have
tried to convey to the people of Australia the concern that we
have about terrorism. Not just in which Libya is involved but
which they are directing. And it is quite clear that these
circumstances of conflict are not going to be eradicated until
Libya desists from directing such terrorists. Now, as I say, the
Foreign minister and I have had access to information which we
find compelling as to the fact that Libya had been involved in
the direction of such terrorists. Now we, having said that, want
the hostilities to cease because there is not merely the danger
to innocent people in Libya but there is also the present danger
of the escalation of this conflict.
JOURNALIST: Do you support the President's action?
PM: Well, what my statement says, it means. And that is that we
want the action to cease. I have tried to convey our
understanding of the circumstances which has led the United
States Administration to do this. Let me make it clear, I am not
going to get into some squalid auction with the Leader of the
Opposition about the degree of our support for the relationship
with the United States and of our loathing and condemnation of
terrorism. It serves no ones purposes in Australia or elsewhere
to get into to such a squalid auction. It is a careful,
calculated statement to convey the position which has been
considered by the Foreign minister and myself.
JOURNALIST: Shouldn't Australia have been notified in advance of
this action by the Americans?
PM: I am not here to say that we should have been notified in
advance. we were informed at about 9.30 this morning when clearly
the action was underway. T -1-11
.1 2
JOURNALIST: So when you get to Washington do you expect the
President to ask for your support?
PM: I don't know. You would have to ask the President what he is
going to do. All I can say is I will convey to the President the
sentiments that are in my statement. One thing I will certainly
be conveying to the President is that I would believe it vitally
important that the United States should expose the information of
which they are in possession and upon which they have based their
action. Now I understand because I have discussed this matter
with Secretary of Defense, Mr Weinberger, the inhibitions which I
think all of you can understand in terms of the way in which they
acquired this information. But I do really believe that it is in
the interests of everybody concerned that that informatin should
be made public.
JOURNALIST: Do you think the Americans would prefer a statement
of greater support?
PM: Well, all I can say is that where earlier this year when the
question of the United States action and attempt to get support
from other countries was concerned they expressed their
satisfaction to the reaction that we undertook as a Government.
And I have no reason to believe that they will be wanting or
pressing or seeking to press us into some further position. We
have tried, as I say, to make a valid statement in this matter
and I repeat that I believe it would be in everyones interest if
the actual information which the United States has in regard to
Libyan direction of terrorist activity were made public.
ENDS