Posted on 05/16/2006 11:34:45 PM PDT by Aussie Dasher
Prime Minister John Howard is wrapping up a visit to Washington by urging the United States to remain involved and committed in world affairs.
The Prime Minister has been honoured with a state dinner hosted by President George W Bush at the White House.
During the dinner, both men toasted each other's friendship and leadership.
Mr Howard has also used the occasion to argue for America to continue to take the lead in international affairs.
"A world without a dedicated involved America will be a lesser world, a less safe world, a more precarious world," he said.
"If I have a single message for the people of your great country ... [it] is, that the world continues to need America and the world would be a better place for the involvement and the commitment of the people of the United States of America in the years that lie ahead."
Mr Bush says the relationship between Australia and the US is broad and deep.
"In the global war on terror we have no better ally than Australia and John Howard," he said.
Indonesia's role
The two men have also emphasised the role of Indonesia in the fight against terrorism.
"We did have an opportunity to talk extensively about some of the challenges in our immediate region," Mr Howard said.
He says he highlighted the importance of Indonesia, the world's most populous Muslim nation, in counter-terrorism.
"I spoke about the ... importance of the role of Indonesia, the symbolism and also the tactical consequence of Indonesia being the largest Islamic country in the world," Mr Howard said.
He says "the success and prosperity" of democratically-elected Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's "moderate Islamic leadership" is itself "a very important factor in the long term success of the fight against terrorism".
"Because the fight against terrorism is not only a military and physical one; it is also an intellectual one," Mr Howard said.
"It's a question of providing within the Islamic world a successful democratic model as an alternative to the fanaticism of those who would obscenely invoke the sanction of Islam to justify what they seek to do."
Mr Howard flies to Chicago tomorrow.
Thank you Prime Minister John Howard, and God Bless Australia!
It isn't the first time Howard has defended the U.S. to the world.
If we could trade Mexico for Poland and Canada for Australia, the North American continent would become a synergistic powerhouse.
Well, the NY Times is just going to have to try to work harder.
Amen. We know who our brothers are. God bless you Aussies.
Down under ping
I watched some of their statements to the press yesterday, waiting for Tony Snow's press conference.
God bless our allies down under!
God Bless you Prime Minister John Howard.
"In the global war on terror we have no better ally than Australia and John Howard," he said.
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Bears repeating!
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