E&OE...............
PRESENTER:
Mr Howard, thanks for being with us. Iraq is a long way from Australia.
Why did you feel the need to send Australian troops, even in a support
role?
PRIME MINISTER:
Because the world wide implications of Saddam Hussein being allowed
to get away with what he's doing, allowed to retain and have
the capacity to use weapons of mass destruction against neighbours
is not something that is isolated to the Middle East. If he is able
to do that then others might think they can do it and those others
can be anywhere else in the world. There is a world security issue
involved in this and that is why Australia has indicated a willingness
if diplomatic solutions and approaches fail to join the United States
led effort.
PRESENTER:
You spoke with President Clinton on the weekend I believe. What
did he ask of you specifically and was there any resistance to Australian
involvement from within your own Government?
PRIME MINISTER:
President Clinton rang me on Saturday afternoon, Australian time,
and he asked if Australia would make a contribution. He didn't
specify what it should be, that was a matter for us and we are now
discussing with the United States the possibility of a unit of our
Special Services and some assistance with refuelling and in some
other specialist areas. Now, that may or may not turn out to be
the contribution we make. If something else of a light magnitude
is more adaptable, well that could be the case. There has been very
strong support within Australia. I have received in principle support
from the Labor Party Opposition in Australia. Of course it was a
Government of that complexion that was in power in Australia in
1991 when Australia participated in Desert Storm, and on that occasion
the Party that I now lead was in Opposition, also lent its support.
So there is a recognition across the political spectrum in Australia
about the longer term implications of this particular issue.
PRESENTER:
If you are sending in the Special Air Services, Australia's
most elite fighting and reconnaissance force, then presumably one
accepts that a combat role is approved for those men if it becomes
necessary. Are Australians ready for casualties over this?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well I don't think anybody likes the prospect of any casualties.
It has to always be recognised that they are possible in any theatre
of war. The purpose of the deployment of this unit is essentially
in the area of search and rescue. The detail of that and what is
involved in that is not something that I can at this stage canvass
for reasons I am sure you will understand.
PRESENTER:
Now there is a feeling in many parts of the world that the dispute
over weapons inspections is very much a dispute between the United
Nations and Iraq but that the United States is acting all but unilaterally
when it comes to the notion of military strike. Shouldn't military
action be a United Nations decision?
PRIME MINISTER:
At the end of the day, it is the member states of the United Nations
that end up taking the action and if you look at the Security Council
resolution that was passed way back in 1991, I think 678, it has,
as they say in the parlance a very long tail, and that authorises
in our advice the sort of action that might be necessary. Can I
say again that I hope devoutly that the military action is not necessary
and I do hope that Saddam Hussein and the Iraqi leadership is willing,
even at this eleventh hour to cooperate with the United Nations.
We have no desire to see Iraq bombed. We have no desire to see any
suffering by the Iraqi people but we simply cannot, as a civilised
world, allow these sorts of weapons to be available for use in an
indiscriminate, punitive fashion.
PRESENTER:
Very briefly, Mr Howard, you have Muslim nations as neighbours.
Muslim communities within Australia asked you not to get involved.
Do you fear any kind of backlash if military action does take place,
either in a trade sense or with the Olympics just around the corner?
PRIME MINISTER:
No I don't expect so on either count. I have made it plain
to the Arabic populations of Australia that they are part of the
Australian community and they will be treated properly and respected
as part of the Australian community. I mean, they are Australians
first. We are all Australians together on something like this and
I think the commonsense of what we're doing and the necessity
of what we are committing ourselves to will be quite widely understood
by the Australian community.
PRESENTER:
John Howard, the Australian Prime Minister in Canberra, thank you
very much for your time today on a busy day in Canberra.
PRIME MINISTER:
Thank you.
[ENDS]