Australian government says it did not sex up Iraq threat

5.00pm

CANBERRA - There is no evidence the Australian government "sexed up" its case for war on Iraq, Foreign Minister Alexander Downer said on Tuesday.

The remarks appeared to support a newspaper report that a parliamentary inquiry into intelligence on Iraqi weapons had concluded the government had not doctored intelligence in the run-up to the war.

Australia was one of the first countries to join the US-led invasion of Iraq, sending 2000 military personnel as the conservative government echoed US and British warnings of evidence of weapons of mass destruction to justify the attack.

But nearly 10 months after Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein was toppled, no biological or chemical weapons have been found, and this month the US and British governments bowed to public pressure for inquiries into apparent intelligence failings.

The Australian government has resisted calls for an independent investigation, saying it would wait to see the results of a parliamentary inquiry into the quality of pre-war intelligence that was due to be released publicly on March 1.

Downer declined to comment on a newspaper report of possible leaks from the parliamentary inquiry, which found the government had not doctored pre-war intelligence but that the advice from intelligence services was not of the highest standard.

"There's no evidence that the government sexed up the story," Downer told a news conference.

"I don't think any of these inquiries in America, Britain or here are going to reveal anything terribly exciting or surprising. There's been no evidence to suggest that the British, the American and the Australian governments were lying."

Downer would not confirm whether the report, which has already been received by the government, would recommend an independent inquiry into the issue.

"If the parliamentary committee suggested a further inquiry of some sort should be set up then obviously the government will consider that," he said.

Main opposition Labor leader Mark Latham has backed the government's decision to wait for the parliamentary inquiry to report before deciding on any further inquiry. However, minor parties, the Greens and the Democrats, want an independent hearing.

- REUTERS

Herald Feature: Iraq