Australian Prime Minister John Howard was fighting to maintain his credibility yesterday after official transcripts backed up critics' claims about what he knew of a controversial 2001 sea rescue of boatpeople.
As he prepares to seek a fourth term at the polls, the so-called "children overboard" incident has returned to haunt Howard, who jumped on the issue of illegal immigration to win his third term in 2001.
Mainly Iraqi asylum seekers on a sinking boat were said to have deliberately thrown their children into the sea, in an attempt to force Australia's navy to rescue them and take them onto an Australian vessel.
They supposedly hoped this would mean they would qualify for refugee status and the right to stay in Australia.
The claims were eventually disproved, but Howard took up the issue of illegal immigration as a trump card to win the 2001 election, citing the incident.
Howard took the unusual step late Friday of releasing transcripts of interviews with two senior defense officials.
They backed up claims by former defense official Mike Scrafton that Howard knew before the 2001 election that the claims were untrue.
Scrafton has said he had a tape of the navy rescue and told Howard before the last election there was no evidence of children being thrown overboard. Howard has said the video was inconclusive.
The transcripts backed up Scrafton's claims. Major General Roger Powell, who conducted a military inquiry into the incident, said he recalled Scrafton stating in December 2001 that he had made it clear to Howard in telephone calls that the claims were untrue.
With speculation running high that Howard could call the next election this weekend, opposition leader Mark Latham said the prime minister's credibility would be a major issue.
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