7News Just InSecret cabinet documents have just been released from 2004 giving new insights into decisions made by then prime minister John Howard. The cabinet stuck tight to the US alliance despite revelations the invasion of Iraq was based on a falsehood about weapons of mass destruction.
For more, Josh Martin reports.
Twenty years ago, Shannon Knowl was top of the charts world a battle, this bombshell admission topping the news agenda.
Certainly the Intelligence service believed that there were a WMD.
It turns out we were all wrong, a war based on deception the Bush administration conceding Iraq did not possess weapons of mass destruction.
Intelligence is always a bit hidden.
Miss arguments Australia had relied on.
We failed to find the stockpiles, we didn't fail to find the capacity to make them.
The National Archives today releasing twenty year old cabinet documents revealing the Howard government's demonstrable commitment to the US Alliance an extra six hundred and forty four million dollars for the war effort, in spite of growing unrest domestically by revelations of prisoner abuse in Abu Grabe jail. How much did the Australian mood change towards Iraq in two thousand and four.
Was always at dot and divisive issue.
Another divisive scandal from that year would remain a secret for a decade. Australian agent spying on Team or less Day's leader accused of bugging officers to get the upper hand in oil and gas negotiations.
I think they would have always behaved in a way that promoted the Australian national interest back home.
How I am Mark John Howard shaking off Mark Latham to win a fourth straight election.
As the campaign started, Mister Howard described the election result as very much in the balance.
His decision to back Tasmanian loggers over green concerns pivotal unions, turning on labor history, repeating in twenty twenty five a decision on salmon farming in the Appollisle looming over the next election.
Let me put it this way, I'm following the salmon industry closely and I can feel for the workers.
John Howard says he'll leave it to others to determine his legacy, but talking to the former Prime Minister, get the sense that Australia's generous response to the two thousand and four Boxing Day tsunami is one of his proudest achievements from his time in the top office.
Very proud that we did help, We helped generously.
Australia gave more than a billion dollars the natural disaster, killing two hundred and twenty thousand people. Much of the devastation in Indonesia.
Close neighbor and friend, but it suffered terribly.
Josh Martin seven News
