Liberation News Service

http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2003/10/08/1065292604414.html

Howard censured over push for war with Iraq

October 8, 2003

Prime Minister John Howard was yesterday censured by
the Senate for misleading the public in his
justification for sending Australia to war with Iraq.

It was only the fourth time in more than three decades
a sitting prime minister has been censured and the
second in Mr Howard's seven-and-a-half years in
office.

The motion attacked Mr Howard for failing to
adequately inform Australians that intelligence agency
warnings about a war with Iraq would increase the
likelihood of a terrorist attack.

It also noted that no evidence had yet been produced
by Mr Howard to justify his claims that in March this
year, Iraq possessed stockpiles of completed
biological chemical weapons that justified going to
war.

The Opposition, Greens and Australian Democrats voted
together to defeat the Government by 33 votes to 30.

Greens senator Bob Brown said Mr Howard was involved
in an unprecedented deceit of the nation and deserved
censure.

He said Mr Howard had argued that Iraq's weapons of
mass destruction and support of international
terrorism threatened Australia. "It has become
abundantly clear that the Prime Minister was not just
a bit wrong. He was totally wrong," he told
parliament.

Defence Minister Robert Hill said the Australian and
other governments believed Saddam Hussein's weapons
programs posed a very real danger.

Opposition Senate leader John Faulkner said Mr Howard
had been loose with the truth on issues of national
security.

Mr Howard was censured by the Senate in March 2002
over his failure to stop Liberal Senator Bill
Heffernan's attack on High Court Justice Michael
Kirby.

- AAP

This story was found at:
http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2003/10/08/1065292604414.html