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

I heard somebody saying, ‘Already it’s happened.’ I picked that up. Let me say it again and slowly so the Leader of the Opposition takes it in. It will be a catastrophe for the West if America is defeated in Iraq and, if America pulls out her combat brigades by March 2008, which is the gist of the Obama bill before the congress, that will be seen around the world as a defeat for the United States in Iraq. If you disbelieve me read that national intelligence assessment.

Finally, in relation to the Democrats, I remind the Leader of the Opposition that in the years I have been Prime Minister I have worked very closely with both Democrat and Republican presidents. I would also remind the House that the first occasion as Prime Minister that I was responsible for sending Australian forces to the Iraq theatre was in fact in response to a request from the Democrat President Bill Clinton.

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