This was published 21 years ago
Crean says committing troops 'reckless and unnecessary'
Prime Minister John Howard's move to commit troops to any US-led war against Iraq was unnecessary, reckless and against Australia's national interests, Opposition Leader Simon Crean said today.
Mr Howard asked federal parliament to condemn Iraq and endorse the government's decision to commit Australian troops to any military action, after the United States today gave Iraqi President Saddam Hussein 48 hours to leave Iraq.
But Mr Crean said Labor would oppose the motion.
"The prime minister today, in a reckless and unnecessary act, has committed Australia to war," Mr Crean said.
"The prime minister had his moment of truth and what did we see?
"We saw capitulation and subservience to a phone call from the United States president.
"This is a black day for Australia, it's a black day for Australia and it's a black day for international cooperation. "Today diplomacy was ditched and Australia agreed to ditching it.
"Today we committed to a war which isn't necessary."
Mr Crean said the Labor Party supported the men and women of the defence forces now on duty in the Middle East and preparing to go to war.
He said the country had to learn from the lessons of Vietnam when returning troops were spurned.
"Whilst I will vehemently oppose what the prime minister has committed us to, I will continue to argue against him, I will always support our troops," he said.
"Those men and women have no choice but the government of the day did have a choice and it made the wrong call.
"It still made the wrong call and it should reverse that call.
"Our argument is with the government of the day, it's not and never will be with the troops."
Mr Crean said the prime minister had again failed to outline the reasons why war was necessary against Iraq.
He said although Labor supported the disarmament of Iraq, there were other ways of achieving it other than war.
"We do have to understand that these men and women are giving of their lives, prepared to lay them on the line to serve this country in the belief that the government has made that judgment in their interests and based on all of the evidence," he said.
"Sadly today none of that evidence is any more forthcoming.
"The prime minister has still not made his case in terms of the deployment of our troops.
"The decision to go to war is wrong, it's not in our national interest and there is an alternative."
Earlier Mr Howard said Saddam had made a big mistake if he thought force would not be used to disarm him.
"After 12 years he does not believe that the international community has the will to act. He has made a terrible error of judgement," the prime minister said.
Mr Howard said committing troops to military conflict was a serious decision, but Iraq's weapons of mass destruction posed a challenge that had to be tackled.
"There is no more serious decision for any government than to commit its forces to military conflict abroad," Mr Howard said.
"The government believes very strongly that Iraq's continued defiance of the community of nations presents a challenge which must be addressed.
"It is inherently dangerous to allow a country such as Iraq to retain weapons of mass destruction, particularly in light of its past aggressive behaviour."
Mr Howard said if the world community failed to disarm Iraq, it would give a green light to other rogue states to develop and possess weapons of mass destruction.
Using the same lines from his nationally televised address on Iraq last week, Mr Howard said possession of chemical, biological or nuclear weapons by terrorists constituted a direct, undeniable and lethal threat to Australia.
Mr Howard said for 12 years Australian troops had been in the Gulf to enforce sanctions and participate in Operation Desert Storm and Operation Desert Fox.
"Now we join with the coalition in an attempt to bring this long-running conflict to an end, once and for all,' Mr Howard said.
"This will be difficult. Saddam Hussein is married to his weapons of mass destruction.
"He will never give them up willingly. Militarism and aggression are the foundation of his regime."
Mr Howard said legal advice obtained by the government on war against Iraq was unequivocal and any use of the term unilateral to describe military action without UN backing was wrong.
"Our legal advice, provided by the head of the Office of International Law in the Attorney-General's Department and the senior legal adviser to the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade is unequivocal," he said.
"The existing United Nations Security Council resolutions already provide for the use of force to disarm Iraq and restore international peace and security to the area.
"Australia and the other members of the coalition are therefore still acting under the authority of the United Nations Security Council resolutions."
Mr Howard said Australia would take an active role in rebuilding Iraq post-war.
"Australia will do everything in its power to encourage the establishment of a representative government," Mr Howard said.
"The government also wants to reassure Australia's Islamic community that our actions in Iraq are not an attack on Islam."
He said all Australians should offer compassion and understanding in coming weeks to Australian Muslims and those with cultural ties to the Middle East.
Mr Howard again asked anti-war campaigners to protest to him and his government and offer their full support to the troops and their families back home.
AAP