Fed: Crean blasts Air Force pre-deployment
Opposition Leader SIMON CREAN says Australia's commitment of 440 Air Force personnelto be placed on standby in the Middle East isn't in the national interest.
Defence Minister ROBERT HILL has announced members of the Royal Australian Air Forcewill be deployed to the region within weeks to prepare for the potential war on Iraq.
Senator HILL says a squadron of 14 F/A-18 Hornet fighter aircraft, three C130 Herculestransport aircraft and an Air Forward Command Element would leave Australia within a fortnight.
But Mr CREAN's called on Prime Minister JOHN HOWARD to defer the despatch of RAAF personneluntil the United Nations has reached a decision on Iraq.
He says the decision's not in the national interest.
Mr CREAN's accused Mr HOWARD of secretly committing troops to any US-led war againstIraq, and says it's time the prime minister came clean with the Australian public.
AAP RTV db/smb
KEYWORD: IRAQ AUST CREAN (MELBOURNE)
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