Alexander Downer (Mayo, Liberal Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Hansard source

The very heart of this debate today is the proposition that the honourable member for Barton—and, above all, the Leader of the Opposition—is putting, and that is that the coalition forces should withdraw from Iraq and leave Iraq to the terrorists and the insurgents. I believe, and I think most Western governments believe—including some who do not have troops in Iraq—that if a withdrawal of that kind were to take place it would be a catastrophe in the struggle against terrorism. The Leader of the Opposition says that he would not only pull out Australian troops; he would also go to Washington and urge the United States to surrender in Iraq as well. As the national intelligence estimate demonstrated, this would be a major triumph for the extremists, the terrorists and the insurgents. This government will not surrender.

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