In comments likely to confirm the suspicions of nearby Southeast Asian nations, US President George W. Bush has called Australia America's "sheriff" in the region.
In an interview published yesterday in The Australian newspaper and other journals, Bush heaped praise on Australia and its conservative Prime Minister John Howard for supporting the war on terror and sending troops to fight in Iraq.
Asked whether he saw Australia as Washington's "deputy sheriff" in Southeast Asia -- a description once used by Howard -- Bush replied: "No. We don't see it as a deputy sheriff. We see it as a sheriff."
Bush called the two countries "equal partners, friends and allies. There's nothing deputy about this relationship."
Opposition Labor Party lawmaker Janice Crosio said Southeast Asian governments "may be upset and concerned" by Bush's remarks, which could damage Australia's standing in the region.
In 2000, Howard sparked anger in Asia when he reportedly said Australia's role in Asia could be as a "deputy sheriff" to Washington.
Recently, outgoing Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad used a meeting of Southeast Asian leaders to denounce Australia as acting like a "deputy general" and a western "transplant" in the region.
Both Howard and Bush will meet Asian and other leaders, including Mahathir, at a 21-nation summit of the APEC forum in Bangkok on Monday and Tuesday.
Australian Defense Minister Robert Hill, a senior member of Howard's Cabinet, said he agreed with Bush's description.
Asked what the president's comments might mean, Hill said: "I interpreted that to mean ... that he believed we took on a serious role, made a significant contribution to stability, particularly within this region."
"The great thing about Australians is they're not afraid," Bush said during the interview, conducted in the White House earlier this week. "When I go to Australia I'll be speaking to a country which does understand the consequences of sacrificing for something greater than themselves."
Bush is due to visit Canberra and address Australia's Parliament next Thursday. Peace activists are planning major protests during his one-day stint here, which comes at the end of a swing through the region.
Howard, who was visiting Washington on the day of the Sept. 11 terror attacks there and in New York, defied widespread public opposition by sending 2,000 troops to fight alongside US and British forces in the initial attack on Iraq.
Before the Australian force left, hundreds of thousands of people took to the streets across the country to voice their opposition in the largest protests since the Vietnam war.
FRAUD ALLEGED: The leader of an opposition alliance made allegations of electoral irregularities and called for a protest in Tirana as European leaders are to meet Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama’s Socialist Party scored a large victory in parliamentary elections, securing him his fourth term, official results showed late on Tuesday. The Socialist Party won 52.1 percent of the vote on Sunday compared with 34.2 percent for an alliance of opposition parties led by his main rival Sali Berisha, according to results released by the Albanian Central Election Commission. Diaspora votes have yet to be counted, but according to initial results, Rama was also leading there. According to projections, the Socialist Party could have more lawmakers than in 2021 elections. At the time, it won 74 seats in the
A Croatian town has come up with a novel solution to solve the issue of working parents when there are no public childcare spaces available: pay grandparents to do it. Samobor, near the capital, Zagreb, has become the first in the country to run a “Grandmother-Grandfather Service,” which pays 360 euros (US$400) a month per child. The scheme allows grandparents to top up their pension, but the authorities also hope it will boost family ties and tackle social isolation as the population ages. “The benefits are multiple,” Samobor Mayor Petra Skrobot told reporters. “Pensions are rather low and for parents it is sometimes
CANCER: Jose Mujica earned the moniker ‘world’s poorest president’ for giving away much of his salary and living a simple life on his farm, with his wife and dog Tributes poured in on Tuesday from across Latin America following the death of former Uruguayan president Jose “Pepe” Mujica, an ex-guerrilla fighter revered by the left for his humility and progressive politics. He was 89. Mujica, who spent a dozen years behind bars for revolutionary activity, lost his battle against cancer after announcing in January that the disease had spread and he would stop treatment. “With deep sorrow, we announce the passing of our comrade Pepe Mujica. President, activist, guide and leader. We will miss you greatly, old friend,” Uruguayan President Yamandu Orsi wrote on X. “Pepe, eternal,” a cyclist shouted out minutes later,
MIGRATION: The Supreme Court justices said they were not deciding whether Trump could legally use the Alien Enemies Act to deport undocumented migrants US President Donald Trump on Friday lashed out at the US Supreme Court after it blocked his bid to resume deportations of alleged Venezuelan gang members, saying the justices are “not allowing me to do what I was elected to do.” Trump’s berating of the high court, in a post on Truth Social, came after it dealt another setback to his attempt to swiftly expel alleged Tren de Aragua (TdA) gang members using an obscure wartime law, the 1798 Alien Enemies Act (AEA). Trump has been at loggerheads with the judiciary ever since he returned to the White House, venting
RSS