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Scoop Audio/Images: Clark & Howard On Iraq & Obama
Scoop Audio/Images: Clark & Howard On Iraq & Obama
- John Howard Stands By Remarks About Senator Barack Obama
- John Howard Says Iraq War Not A Mistake
- John Howard Says He Will Lobby For Speedy Trial For David Hicks
- Helen Clark Cuts Trans Tasman Bi-Lateral Press Conference Short
The Scoop Team
Images by David McLellan and Kevin List, questions by Alastair Thompson
See also... Scoop Transcript: PMs Howard & Clark Q&A
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Today's Trans-Tasman bilateral press conference ended prematurely as New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark shielded the Australian Prime Minister John Howard from questions Scoop.co.nz sought to ask about Iraq and the Aussie PM's recent remarks about US Senator Barack Obama.
You can listen to the press conference in full at the following links (Rush Transcript: PMs Howard & Clark Q&A):
Helen Clark and John Howard's opening statements (9 Mins.)Scoop Streaming Audio (click here to listen): Helen Clark and John Howard statements
Advertisement - scroll to continue readingQuestion and Answer Session (21 Mins)
Earlier Mr Howard told the press conference that he stood by the remarks he made about the Senator at the weekend.
On Sunday it was reported that John Howard told the nine network:
"If I was running al-Qaida in Iraq, I would put a circle around March 2008 and pray, as many times as possible, for a victory not only for Obama, but also for the Democrats."
John Howard went on to say among other things.
"I think that would just encourage those who wanted completely to destabilise and destroy Iraq, and create chaos and victory for the terrorists to hang on and hope for an Obama victory."If they think the next President of the U.S. is going to pull out early in 2008, they will hang on and they will live for the day that that happens because they know then they will have won. … I hope Mr Obama does not become President of the U.S.
"I hope the next President of the U.S., and I don't know who he or she may be, has a more responsible attitude towards terrorism than that."
Mr Howard's unusual intervention into the US political arena has been widely criticised in the Australian media where some media have accused him of using "dog whistle" politics.
The term "dog whistle" refers to a form of subliminal attempt to appeal to a racist underbelly in his domestic electorate via his criticism of an African American presidential aspirant.
During today's press conference both Trans Tasman Prime Minister's were asked several questions about their views on the Iraq War. And in his second Question John Howard was asked by Scoop about Barack Obama.
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Later John Howard was further asked whether he stood by his remarks about Barack Obama and by his initial decision to back the invasion of Iraq.
Towards the end of the press conference NZ Prime Minster Helen Clark became somewhat irate that Scoop was continuing to seek to ask questions about the subject of the War and brought the conference to a close.
Helen Clark and John Howard's opening statements (9 Mins.)Question and Answer Session (21 Mins)
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Alastair Thompson
Scoop Publisher
Alastair Thompson is the co-founder of Scoop. He is of Scottish and Irish extraction and from Wellington, New Zealand. Alastair has 24 years experience in the media, at the Dominion, National Business Review, North & South magazine, Straight Furrow newspaper and online since 1997. He is the winner of several journalism awards for business and investigative work.
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