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

I thank the Leader of the Opposition for the question. I welcome the publication of the report of the Baker-Hamilton commission in relation to Iraq. The contents of that report are largely to be said to be predictable. It certainly said words to the effect of those said by the Leader of the Opposition. But it also said a number of other things. For example, it said the following:

... we believe it would be wrong for the United States to abandon the country through a precipitate withdrawal of troops and support.

Can I say that again:

A premature American departure from Iraq would almost certainly produce greater sectarian violence and further deterioration of conditions, leading to a number of the adverse consequences outlined above. The near-term results would be a significant power vacuum, greater human suffering, regional destabilization, and a threat to the global economy. Al Qaeda would depict our withdrawal as a historic victory. If we leave and Iraq descends into chaos, the long-range consequences could eventually require the United States to return.

They are not my words or Alexander Downer’s words. They are the words of James Baker and Lee Hamilton, from a bipartisan commission of inquiry.

Of course the United States is looking at reworking its tactics but, as I have said before and I will say again—

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