Fed: Howard arrogant in dismissing former boffins - Labor

AAP General News (Australia)
08-09-2004
Fed: Howard arrogant in dismissing former boffins - Labor

CANBERRA, Aug 9 AAP - Opposition foreign affairs spokesman Kevin Rudd today defended
the integrity of a group of former military chiefs and diplomats who have criticised the
federal government's decision to go to war in Iraq.

Forty-three former defence chiefs and diplomats signed a statement which called for
more honesty in government, and said Australia joined the war on Iraq on the basis of
false assumptions and deceptions.

"What we've had today from Prime Minister John Howard and (Foreign Minister) Alexander
Downer is wall-to-wall arrogance in dismissing these charges from 43 of Australia's most
senior diplomatic and military leaders," Mr Rudd told reporters.

"This is an extraordinary response of arrogance from the Howard government.

"Frankly, when you've got 43 individuals like this comprised of four former heads of
Foreign Affairs, two former Defence chiefs, a former head of the Defence Department and
three former ambassadors to Iraq and a whole host of others, this is an unprecedented
attack on the government of the day concerning its conduct of this government's foreign
policy."

Mr Rudd said there were two charges made against the government through the statement.

"The first is that the Howard government deceived the Australian people when it invaded
Iraq," he said.

"The second is that Australia is not safer from terrorism as a result of the Iraq war
but Australia finds itself more exposed as a terrorist target because of the Iraq war.

"The government has a case to answer today and it can't simply dismiss this case by
trying to write off, arrogantly, this group of senior Australian military and political
leaders as some sort of bunch of old fogeys.

"That just won't wash."

AAP dep/sb/bes/sd

KEYWORD: STATEMENT RUDD

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