Statement by The Prime Minister for the media
24 February 1991
As you will know, Iraq has failed to undertake a withdrawal from Kuwait within the deadlina of 4 o'clock this morning Canberra time. As a result tha coalition forces will now undertake ground operations ag~inst Iraqi forces in and around Kuwait.
These operations have indeed already begun.
Over the last few days intensive efforts have been made to persuade Iraq to agree to withjraw from Kuwait unconditionally in accordance ~ith UN resolutions, without the necessity for a ground war.
These efforts have not been su~cessful. The Soviet Union has played a positive role in seeking a formula to which Iraq would agree. But the latast and most promising Soviet proposal - put forward by the 30viets yesterday morning Canberra time - still contains serious weaknesses.
That proposal was discussed by the Security Council in the early hours of this morning, but our mission at the UN has reported that at that meeting no delegation expressed support for the Soviet proposal as it now stands.
There was wide agreement in the Security Council that the fundamental flaw of the latest Soviet proposal is its requirement that all UN resolutions relating to the Gulf crisis be rescinded after an Iraqi withdrawal.
That would encompass, among other things, rescinding the resolutions relating to the restoration of Kuwait's legitimate government, and the rescission by Iraq of its purported annexation of Kuwait.
Clearly these are fundamental lssues which go to the heart of the Gulf crisis, and on which the UN is absolutely right not to compromise.
This is a view shared throughout the coalition.
Over recent days the coalition has been concerned to allow Saddam Hussein a clear opportunity to withdraw immediately in accordance with UN resolutions if he had really decided to do so, but at the same time to deny him the chance to exploit peace moves to delay anj deflect allied military operations in a way which could eventually cost allied lives and prolong the occupation and jestruction of Kuwait.
For this reason the United States, in consultation with the coalition partners most closely involved in the ground war, set the deadline which expired this morning.
We believe that the coalition has been right to set this deadline. Iraq's actions have shown that it has not been serious about withdrawing from Kuwait in accordance with UN resolutions. The Soviets have indicated that they do not believe Iraq is prepared to abandon its demand that all UN resolutions be rescinded.
In other words, Saddam Hussein is not prepared to withdraw from Kuwait unconditionally.
As has happened so often before in this crisis, Iraq's actions have spoken louder than its sometimes tantalising words.
In the last hours before the deadline expired, after an Iraqi spokesman had expressed a preparedness to withdraw on the basis of the Soviet plan, Iraq's forces were systematically destroying Kuwait's oilfields, persecuting Kuwait's citizens, and launching Scud attacks against Saudi Arabia and Israel.
Saddam Hussein has made no move to withdraw his forces from Kuwait.
I want to make it quite plain; had he commenced a withdrawal they would have been allowed to go. As President Bush wrote to me last week, "we would not attack retreating Iraqi forces". Saddam Hussein has chosen to fight in Kuwait.
Throughout the last few anxious days there has been intense consultation amongst the coalition. Last week I spoke to John Major and Michel Rocard, and I exchanged letters with President Bush concerning the peace moves.
Yesterday I had a long phone call from the US National Security Adviser, General Scowcroft. And this morning at 10 am President Bush telephoned me about the decision to proceed to the land war.
In all of these consultations I have been stressing two things; firstly, that we should take every opportunity to allow Iraq to withdraw from Kuwait if it had genuinely decided to do so.
But secondly, that if Iraq was not prepared to withdraw in accordance with UN resolutions we should maintain the momentum of the military opera1ions which were begun on 17 January to force Iraq from Kuwait.
Australia's Task Group is not currently taking any direct part in supporting the ground operations.
But as those operations develop our task group may deploy further north in the Gulf, where they could face higher risks from mines and other Iraqi action.
Our people serving in the Gulf have performed magnificently so far, and I am sure, as I know you all are, that they will achieve whatever they are called upon to do with great distinction to their service, to their country and to our cause .
We cannot be sure how long i t will take allied forces to complete the liberation of Kuwait. We have every reason to hope for a speedy and decisive victory. And we hope above all that it may be achieved with as few casualties as possible.
Especially we hope most earnestly for the safety of our own people.
I believe we are entering the final stage of a crisis that started on 2 August 1990 when Iraq invaded Kuwait. Back in August I said that Iraq's invasion had provoked one of the gravest crises since the Second World War, one which challenged us to define the ways in which the world communities will co-operate in the years ahead.
Since then the international community has co-operated in trying to solve that crisis by peaceful means, and when those means failed, they have co-operated in supporting and prosecuting a war which none of them wanted, but which Saddam Hussein made necessary by his intransigence and greed.
The coalition is united in believing that there is now no alternative but to take this lest and most serious step. We share that belief, and we will support those operations with our Task Force as best we can.