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Howard: Why Iraq must be disarmed
By CNN's Grant Holloway in Sydney
CANBERRA, Australia (CNN) -- Terrorist groups such as al Qaeda are increasing their efforts to get weapons of mass destruction, justifying the need to disarm Iraq as quickly as possible, Australian Prime Minister John Howard has said. In a televised address to the National Press Club in Canberra, Howard also indicated Australian troops in the Persian Gulf region were unlikely to be withdrawn until that disarmament is completed -- most likely by force. Howard, a staunch supporter of the U.S. and U.K. position on Iraq, used the address to outline Australia's reasons for supporting military action against Saddam Hussein with or without the sanction of the United Nations Security Council. The Australian leader referred to a combined assessment of the terrorist threat posed by weapons of mass destruction produced by the nation's security agencies, although he offered no fresh evidence of such behavior. "Australian intelligence agencies, including ONA (Office of National Assessments), judge that al Qaeda has demonstrated the intention to acquire or develop chemical or biological weapons and an interest in radiological and nuclear weapons," Howard said. "This judgment reflects the intelligence community's professional assessment and is based on the full range of intelligence material available." Howard said terrorist groups, particularly al Qaeda, would use chemical and biological weapons no matter what the cost. "The evidence is powerful and irrefutable," he said. However, he admitted that he could not provide the type of evidence of that would pass muster in an Australian or British court of law. To get that type of proof would require a "Pearl Harbor" type of situation, he said, adding that if the world waited for that, it would be too late to do anything about it. The address was seen as Howard's last chance to persuade a skeptical Australian public of the validity of his government's position.
Recent polls show more than 70 percent of Australians do not favor military action against Iraq without the backing of the U.N. Australia has around 2,000 troops already based in the Persian Gulf, as well as a squadron of fighter aircraft, naval vessels and other military support equipment. Describing the scenario whereby terrorists obtained chemical, biological or nuclear weapons as the world's "ultimate nightmare", the prime minister argued that any backdown shown to Iraq would multiply the dangers of this happening. While not drawing a direct link between Iraq and al Qaeda, Howard argued that if Iraq was not disarmed then other rogue nations would also develop such weapons. This would greatly increase the likelihood that those weapons would fall into terrorist hands. Howard said the situation in North Korea, which is believed to be reviving its nuclear program, added greater urgency to the need to deal with Iraq firmly. Howard made his speech from Parliament's Great Hall in Canberra instead of the National Press Club as earlier scheduled. The venue change was made on the advice of the Australian Federal Police who had safety concerns over protesters who were planning a major antiwar demonstration. Bush phone call
On Wednesday, Howard took a 20-minute telephone call from the United States President, George W. Bush, to discuss the prospects of any new U.N. resolution on Iraq. Mr Howard said the president brought him up to date on what was happening with the Iraq situation, but denied suggestions Bush had asked him to lobby countries in support of the U.S. position. He did say, however, that he had recently spoken to the President of Pakistan, General Pervez Musharraf, and to Mexico's President Vicente Fox, about the issue. Asked about Australia's position as the "odd man out" in the region over its Iraq stance and what he was doing about it, Howard said he had visited the President of Indonesia, Megawati Sukarnoputri, to specifically address this matter. He said Megawati -- the leader of the world's most populous Muslim nation -- fully understood and appreciated that any action Australia took against Iraq was not "anti Islamic". He also said that Australians needed to appreciate that the nation's alliance with the United States was a factor in the government's stance, "unapologetically so". "No nation is more important to our long-term security than the United States," Mr Howard said.
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