Fed: Aust didn't discuss war on Iraq with US until 2002 - Downer

AAP General News (Australia)
04-25-2004
Fed: Aust didn't discuss war on Iraq with US until 2002 - Downer

CANBERRA, April 25 AAP - Australia did not begin serious talks with the United States
about military action in Iraq until mid-2002, Foreign Minister Alexander Downer said today.

He said the Bush administration had been less concerned about military intervention
in Iraq than the previous Clinton administration.

In 1998, then US secretary of state Madeleine Albright wanted to take military action
to overthrow Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein, Mr Downer said.

"That was her view in 1998," he told the Ten Network.

But Mr Downer said the focus shifted once George W Bush took over as US president.

"In 2001, I don't recall there being too much focus in our conversations with the Americans
about Iraq," he said.

"But 2002, from around the middle of 2002, it became something of an issue that we
spent time discussing with them.

"But prior to around June or July 2002 it had been more of an issue with the Clinton
administration.

"We'd spent a lot of time talking with them about it and less with the Bush administration."

Mr Downer said some people were determined to come up with conspiracy theories to condemn
the US-led war in Iraq.

"There's some people who were against the overthrow of Saddam Hussein ... and they've
done everything they possibly can to prove a conspiracy theory," he said.

AAP sm/cat/br

KEYWORD: IRAQ WMD DOWNER

2004 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.