Fed: Abbott says government did not misuse intelligence

AAP General News (Australia)
08-08-2004
Fed: Abbott says government did not misuse intelligence

CANBERRA, Aug 8 AAP - The federal government did not (not) misuse intelligence material
before the Iraq war, Health Minister Tony Abbott said today.

He was speaking after the release of a public statement by 43 former senior diplomats
and defence chiefs, who said they were concerned Australia committed to join the invasion
of Iraq on the basis of false assumptions and the deception of the Australian people.

The statement called for truth in government and for a more balanced approach to foreign affairs.

Mr Abbott said the former officials were entitled to their opinion but the government
had not misused intelligence information.

"The point is that there were intelligence failings but those failings don't alter
the fact that the government didn't misuse the intelligence that it had," he told the
Nine network.

Mr Abbott said Australia was not the only country which had believed Iraq had possessed
weapons of mass destruction.

He said even former Office of National Assessments official Andrew Wilkie, who has
criticised the government's use of intelligence before the war, had believed Iraq had
WMD.

"Even Andrew Wilkie thought ... Iraq had weapons of mass destruction and sure, with
the benefit of hindsight we now know that it wasn't absolutely accurate," Mr Abbott said.

"But let's not get too wise after the event."

AAP pj/tma/sd n

KEYWORD: STATEMENT ABBOTT

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