Interview with Marius Benson, ABC Newsradio

Transcript, E&OE, proof only

Subjects: Libya

28 February 2011

GLEN BARTHOLOMEW: Australia's Foreign Minister Kevin Rudd has been travelling in the Middle East to discuss the situation with regional officials, he's now in Europe and earlier this morning, he spoke to News Radio's Marius Benson.

MARIUS BENSON: Kevin Rudd, overnight we have seen Colonel Qadaffi's sons declare they are going nowhere, what's your latest reading on the situation in Libya?

FOREIGN MINISTER KEVIN RUDD: Libya is still in an entrenched state of civil war, large parts of the country are under the control of the opposition forces, but Colonel Qadaffi's forces still remain entrenched in Tripoli itself, though parts of that city are being contested.

The key challenge for the international community, is take whatever actions are necessary to act against further loss of life on the part of innocent civilians, and again we call upon the Libyan regime to be mindful of what will happen to members of the regime who initiate acts of mass violence against civilians, or those who pull the trigger, given the Security Council's decision to refer this matter to the International Criminal Court.

MARIUS BENSON: Now the international community is talking about sanctions. You've made the point that Australia has already imposed sanctions. Is it time for more drastic action, given these desperate pleas we're hearing from the people of Libya, should there be direct international intervention in Libya?

KEVIN RUDD: The United Nations Security Council has now taken unprecedented action by this direct reference to the International Criminal Court; this is only the second time in history that this has occurred. As for other options, I have said before, and I say again, that all other options should remain on the table for the UN Security Council to consider. We are still dealing with an entrenched civil war, and a dictator out of control.

MARIUS BENSON: Just looking at those other options, is Australia, would Australia, be in favour of any direct physical intervention by the international community?

KEVIN RUDD: At this stage, the Australian Government does not want to speculate hypothetically on further sets of action. We have already called for one further set of action which the council has not embraced yet, and that is the imposition of a no fly zone across Libya, to prevent the regime from the further strafing of its own population by elements of the Libyan Air Force. This is a further action available for the council, I believe it should be embraced, and embraced as a matter of urgency.

MARIUS BENSON: Mr Rudd, what's the situation with Australians in Libya, the Australian consular staff have been pulled out, that means there's obviously no help on the ground for them?

KEVIN RUDD: The Australian Consul-General, with whom I spoke just prior to the evacuation of Australian diplomatic and consular staff from this war zone, had made every physical effort to contact any remaining Australians within Libya.

Most were contacted, and a number, particularly dual-nationals, had elected to stay; some had made arrangements for exit from the country by other means. As for any Australians remaining within the country, we've made arrangements with the Turkish Government for them to provide consular services, given that their mission remains open.

MARIUS BENSON: There are newspaper reports, there have been newspaper reports over the weekend that Colonel Qadaffi's sons may have assets in Australia, do you know if there's any truth in those reports, and if any action should be taken on that?

KEVIN RUDD: One of the reasons why the Australian Government acted early with unilateral or autonomous sanctions against the Qadaffi regime, was to ensure that we could now begin legal processes for establishing whether any financial assets are held in Australia.

I'm not advised as to whether there are such assets or not, but such an examination is now underway under the appropriate head of power. The critical thing is to cause the regime to know that, whether it's in Australia or any other part of the world, their assets are now being frozen, and this hopefully brings a further item of focus to the mind of this entirely despicable regime.

MARIUS BENSON: So you're checking to see if there are assets held here?

KEVIN RUDD: Exactly, that process is now underway, and could only be put underway through an appropriate head of power, namely the imposition of autonomous sanctions, and I note again that these sanctions were imposed ahead of action by the United Nations Security Council.

MARIUS BENSON: What's your estimate at the moment, how soon will Qadaffi be gone?

KEVIN RUDD: On the question of the future of Qadaffi itself, it is impossible to predict how much longer he will be in power. Certainly analysts that I have spoken to in my recent several days in the Middle East, including in Cairo, are of the view that it's no longer a question of if, but when.

However, we also know that Qadaffi has extraordinary resources still available to him.

From the Australian Government's point of view, our belief that the time for Qadaffi to go, is now, because the suffering he is imposing on the Libyan people is unacceptable, and beyond all tolerances of international humanitarian law.

MARIUS BENSON: Kevin Rudd, thank you very much.

KEVIN RUDD: Thanks, Marius.

END

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