Fed: Vietnam joins chorus condemning Howard remarks
CANBERRA, Dec 6 AAP - Vietnam has become the latest country in the region to condemnPrime Minister John Howard for backing pre-emptive last resort strikes against terroristsoverseas.
Vietnam Foreign ministry spokeswoman Phan Thuy Thanh emphasised every country's rightto sovereignty and territorial integrity a day after Foreign Minister Alexander Downercalled in heads of South East Asian missions to explain Mr Howard's comments.
Labor said the comments had embroiled the government in a full-blown diplomatic disasterthat jeopardised relations with South-East Asian nations.
But Mr Howard has defended his comments, saying he had made similar remarks in Juneand no-one had taken issue then.
Despite the outrage they have caused, Mr Howard repeated that he would not resile fromhis statement nor would he apologise.
Mr Downer met with heads of mission after Malaysia threatened to pull out of its counter-terrorismagreement with Australia and the Philippines said it was rethinking whether to go aheadwith a similar pact early next year.
Opposition Leader Simon Crean said Mr Howard could be endangering national securitywith his loose statements.
Mr Howard said he expected the counter-terrorism arrangements in place with Malaysia,Indonesia and the Philippines to continue as they were in those nations' interests.
AAP kjp/las/de
KEYWORD: TERROR AUST DAYLEAD
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