Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD)

DATE=02/07/03

TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT

TITLE=AUSTRALIA / IRAQ (L-ONLY)

NUMBER=2-299339

BYLINE=PHIL MERCER

DATELINE=SYDNEY

CONTENT=

INTRO: Australia's political debate over Iraq is becoming increasingly

heated, with Prime Minister John Howard's support for American policy

facing wide-spread opposition. As Phil Mercer reports, one opposition

politician called President Bush "incompetent and dangerous,"

forcing the American ambassador to reply that such personal attacks

threaten Australian-American ties.

TEXT: Political debate in Australia over the government's strong support

for the U-S military build-up in the Persian Gulf raged throughout the

week in Canberra.

Prime Minister John Howard addressed Parliament early in the week in an

effort to sway critics, only to suffer a major defeat when the upper

house handed him a vote of no-confidence.

As the tone of the debate grew more heated, one prominent opposition

lawmaker, Mark Latham, described President Bush as "the most incompetent

and dangerous president in living memory."

The American ambassador in Canberra, Tom Scheiffer, responded by saying such comments were "very personal and very emotional" and could affect

relations between the two allies.

/// SCHEIFFER ACT ///

I think there is some concern on some of the rhetoric that's been used

in the last few days. It's not the sort of thing you couldn't read

without having some concern about the relationship.

/// END ACT ///

Opinion polls suggest two-thirds of the Australian public oppose any Australian involvement in a possible war to divest Iraq of its suspected weapons of mass

destruction.

The Labor Party-led opposition is insisting the government is wrong to

back U-S led action without sanction from the United Nations.

In an effort to calm the potential diplomatic fallout from the debate, Labor's leader, Simon Crean, stressed the target of his anti-war sentiment is the Australian prime minister, not the American President.

/// CREAN ACT ///

My argument is with John Howard. It's not critical of the U-S President, it's critical of John Howard of being too compliant to what the U-S President wants.

/// END ACT ///

Australia is the only country apart from Britain so far to contribute to

Washington's military build-up in the Middle East. One-hundred-50

military personnel, including crew and support staff for three Hercules

transport planes, left Australia for the Gulf Friday even as the debate

continued. A further 250 air force personnel are due to leave in the coming days.

Mr. Howard has taken a tough stand on Iraq, saying Baghdad is deceiving

the international community and the United Nations must take decisive

action to disarm Iraq or lose its credibility. But he has stopped short

of committing Australia's deployed troops should there be an eventual

war.

The prime minister leaves Sunday for the United States for meetings with

President Bush and the United Nations Secretary-General, Kofi Annan.

/// REST OPT ///

He leaves behind an increasingly nervous country, which fears more

terrorist attacks for backing U-S policy on the issue. Authorities

closed down a Sydney train station and a nearby street Thursday after a

suspicious package was found, and a rail worker was taken to

hospital with a mysterious illness.

Every household in Australia is being sent a terrorist information kit

by the government. It gives tips on first aid and on how to spot

possible terrorists, and includes survival gear, such as flashlights,

fire extinguishers and emergency food and water rations.

The country has been in a state of heightened concern since October,

when a terrorist bombing on the Indonesian island of Bali killed 192

people, including 88 Australians. (Signed)

NEB/HK/PM/BK/JO/KBK