Government News Index
Howard warns of more casualties
March 12 2002
Prime Minister John Howard today warned more Australian lives could be lost in the war on terror.
Mr Howard said he could also not rule out the possibility of Australia being asked to contribute troops to a wider military campaign beyond Afghanistan.
"Our commitment to date is to Afghanistan," Mr Howard told a meeting of coalition MPs and senators.
"If any such request was forthcoming, then it would be looked at on its own merits at the time." United States President George W Bush has targeted Iraq, Iran and North Korea as rogue states in the campaign on terror.
Mr Howard said the military action in Afghanistan was real and could lead to more casualties.
"There could be other lives lost - we're involved in a real military action," he said.
Mr Howard told the meeting he had spoken to Kylie Russell, the widow of Australian SAS soldier Andrew Russell who was killed in Afghanistan last month.
He said he was pleased President Bush had referred to that matter during ceremonies to mark the six-month anniversary of the September 11 attacks on the US.
Overnight, Mr Bush paid a special tribute to Sergeant Russell, 33, who was killed when the vehicle he was in hit a landmine on February 16.
"Last month Sergeant Andrew Russell of the Australia SAS died in Afghanistan.
He left behind his wife Kylie and their daughter Leisa, just 11 days old," he said.
"Friends said of Sergeant Russell, 'you could rely on him never to let you down'. This young man and many like him have not let us down."
AAP
The Age