Posted on 03/06/2003 5:50:29 AM PST by nypokerface
Australia's military declared on Thursday it was ready for war on Iraq.
But Prime Minister John Howard strongly denied having a deadline for the conflict and said no decision had yet been made to commit forces to war.
He said no decision would be made in the next few days or coming week, but would only come after a final decision by the United Nations Security Council on a new resolution, due late next week.
Australia has about 2,000 military personnel in the Persian Gulf, including SAS commandos, F/A-18 jet fighters and navy ships, as part of the United-States build-up against Iraq.
Defence force spokesman Brigadier Mike Hannan said the troops were primed for action at any time.
"The defence force is available for the government's decision," he told reporters.
With growing speculation that an attack could happen as soon as next Friday, Mr Howard told parliament he had no information from the United States of a possible March 14 strike.
"I can certainly state that I haven't been told in any kind of authoritative way by the American administration that that is the case," Mr Howard told parliament.
Independent MP Peter Andren forced parliament to debate Iraq today after the issue had been largely ignored in Question Time all week.
Supported by fellow independent Tony Windsor, Mr Andren moved an urgency motion on Iraq and said Thursday could be the last sitting of parliament before Australian troops went to war.
"Australia is about to join the British and American administrations in a new and frightening military strategy - the so-called pre-emptive strike," Mr Andren said.
"This American obsession with regime change, and redrawing the geopolitical landscape in the Middle East, is about to plunge the world into international lawlessness."
Mr Howard promised parliament would be recalled if a decision was made when parliament was in recess, and he promised parliament would have the chance to vote on a resolution.
But he made it clear any decision on the war would be made by cabinet and not parliament.
"The cabinet will take the decision. Once cabinet has taken the decision, the instruction is given to the military," Mr Howard told the Nine network.
"I would expect the House of Representatives to support it."
Mr Howard cited former Prime Minister Bob Hawke's decision to commit to the Gulf War in 1991, and the decision by Sir Robert Menzies in 1939 to commit Australia to World War II.
"I think in 1939 when we went to World War II ... the then prime minister simply said that because Great Britain was at war, Australia was at war," he said.
He said a strike against Iraq would be legal, with or without a new resolution from the United Nations Security Council.
But United Nations General Assembly president Jan Kavan told AAP the UN would need another resolution to sanction military action on Iraq.
He said the existing resolution 1441 was not an automatic trigger for war.
Australia has about 2,000 military personnel in the Persian Gulf, including SAS commandos, F/A-18 jet fighters and navy ships, as part of the United-States build-up against Iraq.
Defence force spokesman Brigadier Mike Hannan said the troops were primed for action at any time.
Thanks, mates! Let us go forward together!
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