US ticks off Clark over war remarks

By AUDREY YOUNG political reporter

The Prime Minister's comments over the Iraq war have drawn a sharp rebuke from the United States Embassy, which last night described them as "regrettable".

That is strong criticism in diplomatic language.

The offending statements were Helen Clark's expressed view at the weekend that the war would not have happened had Democrat Al Gore been elected president.

In a subsequent press conference about the comments, she said the war did not appear to be going to plan.

Political opponents have accused her of being anti-American, of further jeopardising a free-trade deal, and of making inappropriate comments about President's Bush's unsuccessful rival.

Neither the Prime Minister nor the embassy would say whether the United States had conveyed disappointment or disapproval to her or the Government over her comments.

Helen Clark's response, through a spokesman, was: "We often receive follow-up inquiries after sensational news reports and we cheerfully respond to them."

But the United States embassy public affairs officer, Bill Millman, said simply: "The Prime Minister's statement was regrettable," a comment which almost certainly would have been approved by senior diplomats.

Asked if "the statement" referred to Mr Gore or to the war not going to plan, he indicated both.

Earlier, under questioning in Parliament, Helen Clark had dismissed the impact of the Gore comments as "neither here nor there".

She continued to find herself on the back foot yesterday over remarks on the Iraq war - which were reported in sections of the Arab press.

Act leader Richard Prebble suggested her comments were more in line with promoting a free-trade agreement with Syria rather than the United States.

Her comments on plans coming unstuck were reported in at least the Arab News, an English-language news service in Saudi Arabia and possibly on Iranian radio. Another comment, that Saddam Hussein might never be caught, was reported in the Khaleej Times, in the United Arab Emirates.

National leader Bill English said the Prime Minister discussed the war, "as if she is some kind of foreign correspondent", in ways that offended New Zealand's friends and allies.

Helen Clark said Australian Prime Minister John Howard was reported as saying that the US hopes for a popular uprising against Saddam were misguided.

"The fact is Mr Howard is in negotiation for a free trade agreement [with the United States]. That does not stop him telling the truth as he sees it about what is happening."

To accusations that she was damaging New Zealand's relationship with the United States, she said she had been stating only "the bleedingly obvious".

But she added that New Zealand valued its relationship with the US.

Earlier she had told reporters: "Let's be clear for the record. Saddam Hussein has an appalling regime. No one is going to be distressed about that going. It has all been about how this issue should have been handled from the outset.

"We hung in there for a diplomatic solution which was possible and, having seen everything that has happened since, I am convinced we hung out for the right objective."

Herald Feature: Iraq war