Official pledges to A.N.Z.U.S.

Press, 26 June 1984, Page 8

Official pledges to A.N.Z.U.S.

NZPA-AAP Pennsylvania

The top American official concerned with Australian policy gave an unequivocal assurance yesterday that Australia can depend on the United States for help under the A.N.Z.U.S. Treaty. Dr Paul Wolfowitz, the Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affaire, said that the national security of America, Australia and New Zealand was of fundamental interest to each of the others.

“Let there be no doubt in the mind of any potential adversary that an armed attack on an ally would require, and would receive from the allies, full and prompt fulfilment of the A.N.Z.U.S. security commitment including when necessary, military support,” he said.

“In the case of an attack on Australia, for example, our commitment remains firm whether the attack should come from the Paci-

fic or Indian Ocean approaches.

“Our commitment to the defence of our allies is not limited to any particular trend; it applies to any potential aggressor,” he said.

Dr Wolfowitz was speaking at a seminar on American influences on Australian defence, held at Pennsylvania State University.

His statements are the clearest indication yet of the degree to which America wants to use A.N.Z.U.S. as the cornerstone of U.S.-Australian relations. The reassurance of American support comes three weeks before the New Zealand General Election and must be viewed in that light, since the Reagan Administration has had many unused opportunities to make similar statements during visits by the Australian Prime Minister, Mr Bob Hawke, and the Foreign Minister, Mr Bill Hayden, to Washington.

Dr Wolfowitz's optimistic assessment of A.N.Z.U.S. did not equate with that of the Defence Minister, Mr Gordon Scholes;

Mr Scholes gave an earlier address in which he emphasised the need for a more independent Australian defence posture. “It would not be prudent for Australia’s defence planning to proceed on the assumption that such support

would be forthcoming once a particular level of threat was reached,” he said.

“The position we take here accords fully, I would suggest, with the interests of the U.S. “At the same time it would be very difficult for any adversary to calculate that threshhold,” Mr Scholes said.

However, he added that "any country contemplating military action against Australia would be unwise to presume the U.S. would not come to Australia's support.”

Mr Scholes defended the presence of joint United States-Australian bases on Australian soil. He said that they and A.N.Z.U.S. symbolised Australian support for the Western community as a whole and also provided "a sound basis which facilitates Australia’s vigorous involvement in the avoidance of nuclear war and the promotion of vital arms control and disarmament goals.