Nobody wanted to see military action against Iran and diplomatic approaches should be "fully utilised", Australian prime minister John Howard told a group of postgraduate students at University College Dublin yesterday on the second day of his official visit to Ireland.
"This is a very big challenge and also a very big opportunity for the United Nations," he added. The prime minister recalled that the coalition of countries that overthrew the Iraqi regime of Saddam Hussein was "heavily criticised by many" for not allowing the matter to proceed further through the UN before taking action.
There was now an opportunity for the world to see how effective the UN could be in dealing with such an issue.
He added that the "openly hostile" attitude of the Iranian government to Israel was "totally unacceptable".
"My strong view is that we should go down the diplomatic path," he said.
The UN should be allowed to "strut its stuff as effectively as possible".
Asked by another student why his government had failed to issue an "official apology" for the "white Australian occupation" of lands inhabited by indigenous groups, Mr Howard replied that he did not believe such a gesture would be appropriate.
This was based on "a philosophical view of mine that you apologise for something for which you are responsible". There had been "a settlement, as distinct from a conquest or a colonisation", although he accepted there had been a "great deal of trauma" involved.
Most people in Australia were less preoccupied with the question of a formal apology than with "ensuring the indigenous people share to the full the benefits of Australian life".
Asked about Australia's legal and constitutional ban on same-sex marriage, Mr Howard said: "I don't see that as an attack on homosexuals, I see it as a statement of the views and attitudes of our society."
Mr Howard announced a contribution of $1.5 million Australian dollars (€891,000) by his government towards the funding of the Cameron Chair of Australian History at UCD. During his visit to the college, he was awarded an honorary fellowship of the Literary and Historical debating society.