Australian PM Howard: 'Why I had to send them'

The Daily Telegraph ^ | January 24 2003

[knighthawk]

PRIME Minister John Howard yesterday experienced his career's most tearful farewell to battle units -- determined to convince voters they had to be deployed.

In an exclusive interview with The Daily Telegraph, Mr Howard said Australia might have to join the US in an attack on Baghdad even if the UN failed to ratify a military solution.

"I think you could well have a situation where you could read the UN's assessment either way or several ways," the Prime Minister said.

He said it was vital to make an example of Iraq to prevent rogue nations feeling they could develop their own horror weapons without being challenged.

These are the arguments Mr Howard will take to voters over the next few weeks which will see the resumption of Parliament in early February and critical debates in the UN and Washington.

"The most powerful argument for what we are doing -- and what the world community is doing -- is to stop states like Iraq having weapons -- biological, chemical and potentially nuclear weapons," he said.

"Because if we don't make sure Iraq disarms, not only will she keep them and add to them and potentially use them, but other countries will copy what Iraq has done."

He spoke after farewelling 350 troops aboard the HMAS Kanimbla which left Sydney Harbour yesterday for the Persian Gulf and a possible showdown with Iraq's forces.

A squadron of elite SAS soldiers will be farewelled from Perth today.

As the naval band on the Garden Island dock yesterday played Waltzing Matilda, We are One and Advance Australia Fair, parents, children, brothers, sisters and lovers said their goodbyes aboard the transport ship.

On board the Kanimbla, tears flowed freely as loved ones spent their final moments with the troops.

It was an emotional morning for Petty Officer Mark saying farewell to his wife Michelle and two daughters. Like many of the hundreds of relatives saying goodbye to loves ones, it was the moment when families had to leave which was the most difficult.

Daughters Nicole, 13, and Phillippa, 10, tried to comfort each other, but could not fight back tears.

The family clung to each other in silence, tears streaming down their faces and each taking it in turns to hug husband and father.

Michelle said: "I just want all the men and women to come home safe and sound."

Mr Howard told the troops he would work to bring about a peaceful resolution to the Iraqi crisis but that they should be prepared for the prospect of war.

"We hope that is unnecessary. We will work as a nation and as a people to render that unnecessary if at all possible," he said.

He later told The Daily Telegraph he had spoken to 200 to 300 people, but just one told him deploying troops to the Middle East had been a mistake.

Labor Leader Simon Crean, also dockside, was a sharp contrast to the Prime Minister and defence commanders who had given morale-boosting speeches.

Mr Crean said: "I won't mince words. I don't think you should be going. I think the consequences of going it alone in a narrow group of people does potentially expose us to greater risk.

"There are only three countries out of a United Nations of 191 that are involved in forward deployment. Australia is one of them and it shouldn't be."

Able Seaman Shane, 30, faced the difficult task of saying goodbye to his three-year-old son Ben before his first overseas trip.

He was keen to meet Mr Howard and fully supports his stance on Iraq.

"I think he is doing the right thing," he said.

"I am a bit apprehensive and I don't know how long I will be away from home, but this is my job and this is what I have worked towards."

His wife Tracy, 29, said that Ben was too young to understand the significance of his father leaving, but she was worried about his departure. The couple, both in tears, clung to each other and their son until the last minute when Tracy had to leave the ship.

"I am pretty anxious about him leaving us," she said. "This is his first trip. We knew it was coming, but we didn't think it would be so soon."

Mr Howard later said "'no person in their own mind embraces military conflict" without trying to avoid it.

"We would all like to live in a world in which there were no challenges and no problems and that you could, simply by turning your back on a challenge of a rogue state possessing weapons of mass destruction, hope it would go away," he said.

"But the world has never been quite as simple as that and it's not as simple as that now."

[knighthawk]

Ping

[knighthawk]

http://www.dailytelegraph.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5936,5883127%255E401,00.html

Australian deployment pleases US

THE White House has praised Australia for sending troops to the Gulf to join the US-led military build-up against Iraq.

"Thanks to the efforts of nations like Australia, the signal that is being sent that the world is serious helps enhance the chances for peace," spokesman Ari Fleischer said.

President George W. Bush "would like to thank the people and the government of Australia for their efforts in working to achieve peace through the military force that Australia has dispatched to Iraq", he added.

"The president continues to hope that this matter can be resolved peacefully."

The spokesman also hit out at France and Germany, who have refused to back any war.

He said they were not needed to conduct a successful military campaign to disarm Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein.

[cynicom]

Actions such as this buys the Aussies a lot of trust and good will for the future, in case they need it.

[backhoe]

Never forget:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/768567/posts

[Dog]

You stay safe over there in Europe my friend when this starts to go down.....it could get messy.

[VOA]

Actions such as this buys the Aussies a lot of trust and good will for the future, in case they need it.

Just my amateur opinion...
the Aussies have just added onto the good will they've built up over many years and
many wars (serving in places like Vietnam with the US).

I remember Paul Harvey (the news commentator) mentioning how Howard was
under fire for keeping Muslim boat-people from legally landing in Australia...
after 9-11, he looked like a freakin' genius.

And after the Bali Bombing, I read one quote in which he suppossedly told a victim's
relatives "We're going to get the bastards that did this".

The Aussie system may be a bit more socialist than the USA...but they're A-OK...

[Inkie]

Agree with you 110%. Hooray for the Aussies.

[LibKill]

It looks like Australia is one of only three countries with the wit to see Saddam for what he is, and the stones to put him out of business. You know who the other two are.

[knighthawk]

I am thankful I live in a village, away from cities like Rotterdam, Utrecht or Amsterdam.

So I'll be safe.

[Stefan Stackhouse]

The spokesman also hit out at France and Germany, who have refused to back any war. He said they were not needed to conduct a successful military campaign to disarm Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein.

A little verbose. I would have simply said:

France and Germany are not needed.

[For the Unborn]

Take your tourist dollars to UK, Eastern Europe and Australia! Who needs the terrorist-suckups in France and Germany.

[American Soldier]

As the naval band on the Garden Island dock yesterday played Waltzing Matilda

Isn't that song about a guy getting his legs blown off at Gallipoli?

It's a beautiful tune but if I end up deploying and someone plays a song like that for me (like one of our songs about a "mother and a gold star in the window") I will feel tempted to smack them despite any good intentions.

But if it gives the Aussies courage, more power to them.

[VOA]

Take your tourist dollars to UK, Eastern Europe and Australia!
Who needs the terrorist-suckups in France and Germany.

Heck, my guess is that France and Germany are so over-run with Muslims who fit in
with the anti-Jewish strain of those countries...they are now situating themselves where
they innately belong.

OK, time for a humor break...I heard this joke on the radio today:
"France has decided to join the USA, UK and other allied countries today
regardless of the United Nations' stance on Iraq.
This change of heart is contingent on the promise by USA State Department officials
that Lance Armstrong would not participate in the Tour de France again."

[judgeandjury]

I send my heartfelt thanks to our good friends and allies, the Aussies.

[El Gato]

Actions such as this buys the Aussies a lot of trust and good will for the future, in case they need it.

True, but it's also true that having a bunch of your people blown up while vacationing by representatives of the "religion of peace" will tend to clear and focus your thinking on such matters. I also suspect the PM of Oz has already seen the evidence that the rest of us might get to see shortly.

[BlessedBeGod]

"France has decided to join the USA, UK and other allied countries today regardless of the United Nations' stance on Iraq. This change of heart is contingent on the promise by USA State Department officials that Lance Armstrong would not participate in the Tour de France again."

ROFLMHO!

Go Aussies!

[VOA]

ROFLMHO!

(Elvis emulation): "Thank you, thank you very much..."

Go Aussies!

I'll say amen to that and bump...and now I've got to do my chores!

[Kev-Head]

God Bless the Aussies. They have the guts to stand side by side with the USA. Where are thoses whom England the US & the Aussies liberated in WWII. France is kissing up to the country that invaded them in WWII, Germany. Thanks for the support Australia.

[judgeandjury]

Isn't that song about a guy getting his legs blown off at Gallipoli?

I don't know which song you may be referring to, but Waltzing Matilda has nothing at all to do with the battle at Gallipoli. Waltzing Matilda was actually written sometime in the 1890's. The battle at Gallipoli took place in 1914 or 1915.