Australian Foreign Minister says Iraq war 'can still be avoided'

Australian Foreign Minister Alexander Downer said in Auckland yesterday that he did not think war against Iraq was a certainty.

Mr Downer said if Saddam Hussein responded constructively to United Nations Security Council resolutions from now on, then war could be avoided.

"At the end of the day the issue here is the disarmament of Iraq consistent with the demands of international law," said Mr Downer. "Either Saddam Hussein disarms himself or he will be disarmed.

"We very much hope that he will disarm himself and war will be avoided. I don't think we are at a point where war against Iraq is a certainty."

Mr Downer said if the United States made a decision to go to war then Australia would consider its own position on what role it might play.

"Naturally, though, our military must make contingency plans to give the Government maximum flexibility. Our military have been doing that, but that is not to presuppose that there will be a war against Iraq or that we will be participating in it."

Mr Downer had just finished two days of talks in New Zealand with Foreign Minister Phil Goff.

Mr Goff said the whole world recognised that next month would be a critical period with regard to Iraq. At the end of January, UN weapons inspectors report to the Security Council.

He said New Zealand recognised that UN Security Council resolution 1441 - which demands that Baghdad end its weapons of mass destruction programmes or face "serious consequences" likely to include war - was unanimous.

"We hope that the Government of Iraq recognises the unanimity of opinion there, that it must disarm, and it meets the conditions of 1441," said Mr Goff.

"We hope that common sense will prevail and that war can be avoided."

Herald feature: Iraq