John Howard (Bennelong, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Hansard source

I think any statement by a leading political figure in Australia that expresses a concern about the consequences of a policy position for the security interests of this country is both legitimate and in the national interest. I remind the Leader of the Opposition that my starting point on this is that an American defeat in Iraq would be a catastrophe for the West. That is what is involved here, not his ego or my ego or the ego of George Bush or Barack Obama. What is involved here are the consequences for the West of an American defeat in Iraq. That is what we have to focus our minds on.

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