This is 7 News, Late Edition with Naomi Robson.
Goff Whitlam takes his passport to the Iraqi Embassy.
He may be about to launch our most high-powered hostage rescue mission so far.
Good evening.
In a day of dramatic developments on the hostage issue, Saddam Hussein announced he'll start
releasing all hostages on Christmas Day.
But Goff Whitlam indicated he may not wait that long.
Dennis Grant reports that a Goff-led rescue would be a great embarrassment to the Hawke
Government.
Goff Whitlam spent several hours at the Iraqi Embassy in Canberra, but refused comment when
he left with Anne Fairbairn, the woman who last week secured the release of two Australian
hostages.
Iraq's ambassador confirmed Mr. Whitlam's request, but said nothing was definite.
On the ambassador's desk, Mr. Whitlam's passport awaiting a visa.
Kuwait's foreign minister, a government guest in Canberra, slammed the Whitlam visit.
The Prime Minister also condemned the proposed visit, as he has with all private missions
to Baghdad.
They are obviously seeking to extract political propaganda and mileage from it.
Earlier on radio, Mr. Hawke was critical of Iraq's offer to release the hostages, calling
it cynical.
Let's wipe aside all the crap.
What are we witnessing?
We are witnessing the use of innocent human beings to justify internationally unacceptable
behaviour.
And relatives of the hostages are not much impressed either.
Well this is just a little bit more of the game that Hassan is playing.
And I thought well, we'll just prolong it a bit more.
That's what he seems to be doing.
I would much rather that the men came home now than next year.
And south of Perth at Garden Island today, frigate HMAS Sydney and destroyer HMAS Brisbane
docked for a 24 hour stopover en route to the Middle East.
The two ships and their 530 crew members abound for the Gulf of Oman, where they'll replace
the Adelaide and Darwin, who have already been in the Gulf for three months.
At the docks there were emotional scenes as several West Australian sailors were reunited
with their families.
Saddam's offer to start sending hostages home on December 25th is not being regarded as
a Christmas present by Western leaders.
Most see it as a ploy to delay an American led offensive.
Tony Barnett reports that the White House is keeping up pressure for UN approval of the
military solution.
The Iraqi offer is to free all foreign hostages by March 25 next year, with the first of the
captives being allowed to leave on December 25.
The official Iraqi news agency says the move is in the spirit of the Christmas holiday,
but is dependent on a continuing atmosphere of peace.
The United States dismissed the offer and repeated its demands for the unconditional
release of all hostages.
Secretary of State James Baker in Paris said Hussain never should have taken them in the
first place.
I think this is just further cynical manipulation of innocent people's lives.
President Bush learned of the offer on the eve of the landmark summit of NATO and Warsaw
PAC leaders.
Bush is pushing them to back military force in the Gulf conflict, but says he's not concerned
by German Chancellor Helmut Kohl's call for a peaceful resolution.
The timetable set for the release of the captives, December to March, coincides with what many
consider to be the most likely period for an offensive against Iraq, and that's followed
by the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, which could delay action by Arab forces and the
multinational buildup.
But the offer does leave a question mark over the private hostage missions.
Former politicians Tom Uren and Janine Haynes arrived in Baghdad today determined to free
the 31 Australians.
Their effort now appears to have been superseded, and British hostages released from Kuwait
say conditions there have changed for the better.
As the United States prepares for war, the people of the United States are beginning
to have second thoughts.
In a national poll just published in the Los Angeles Times, only 38% of Americans said
yes to war in the Middle East.
53% said no.
America's peace movement is finding its voice.
In cities across the country, anti-war feelings are coalescing.
This in response to the President's decision to send more US soldiers to the desert, up
to 200,000 more.
Personally, I have a feeling of living through a nightmare, of living through 1964 again
when I was in the Pentagon at that time.
Once again I see the country moving toward a war that it could avoid, a war that the
people don't want.
We don't want another Vietnam.
Prominent peace activists of the 60s and 70s are leading the anti-war movement of the 90s.
This time they're organizing before a war starts, already taping a commercial with Vietnam
war hero Ron Kovac.
Didn't we promise ourselves that we would never let this happen again?
What the peace groups want is a diplomatic solution to the Gulf crisis and for the President
to stop using what they say is inflammatory rhetoric.
The world would be a better place if we stopped the military buildup.
Dozens of college campuses have organized teachings, among them Bucknell University,
a relatively conservative school in Pennsylvania.
There signs of protests have begun to appear, along with a memorial to lives already lost
in Saudi Arabia.
Most students, unlike those of a generation ago, cannot be drafted, but they know there's
talk in Washington of reinstating the draft and they're worried.
Of course it's not going to be another Vietnam, it might be worse.
I'm scared, I'm so scared.
I'm very scared, I don't want a war.
West Australian Premier Dr. Carmen Lawrence tonight announced a royal commission will
investigate allegations of corruption in government business dealings.
John McCourt reports that public pressure finally persuaded the government to change
its mind about the inquiry.
Ladies and gentlemen, I've decided to establish a royal commission.
It will be given extensive powers to inquire into claims of corrupt or other illegal conduct
relating to government business activities over the past decade and into recent allegations
concerning the Stirling City Council.
The Premier's announcement took everyone by surprise.
It was expected to tough out the latest allegations of political wrongdoing, including alleged
bribery of Stirling City Councillors and Labor Party links to convicted private eye Robert
Smith.
And for most of this year, there have been repeated calls for a royal commission over
the entire WA Inc saga.
A subdued Dr. Lawrence said the past few weeks had tipped the scales in her deciding to call
for an extensive royal commission.
The royal commission will get to the truth and clear the air once and for all.
But it's not only recent claims of corruption which are now to be investigated, but also
other alleged illegal conduct relating to government business activities over the past
10 years.
That would involve the activities of five state governments, led by Sir Charles Court,
Ray O'Connor, Brian Burke, Peter Dowding and Dr. Lawrence.
Premier Lawrence said Parliament had become obsessed with the issue of corruption, the
media preoccupied and the public disillusioned.
Corruption will be introduced before Christmas to give the royal commission stronger powers
of investigation than currently exist.
Former Queensland Assistant Police Commissioner Graham Parker had denied charges that he lied
to the Fitzgerald inquiry in 1987.
Parker's trial began in Brisbane's District Court today.
Carol Horne reports.
Parker was indemnified in return for evidence to the Fitzgerald inquiry about his knowledge
of corrupt police activities.
In the jury today, Prosecutor John Callinan said Parker told the inquiry that he had received
corrupt protection payments while Inspector of the Licensing Branch in the 80s and later
as Assistant Commissioner.
But Mr Callinan said Parker did not tell all.
Parker's pious apology to Queenslanders from the witness stand at the inquiry, Mr Callinan
said, had been the height of hypocrisy because Parker went on to deceive the inquiry.
The jury was told that during his evidence at the inquiry, Parker had consistently asserted
that his involvement in corruption began in 1980.
The Crown said it would prove that Parker had lied.
Mr Callinan said the jury would hear evidence proving that Parker had been entrenched in
a corrupt system while a junior officer with the Licensing Branch 30 years ago.
Alan Pembroke, who served with Parker, would testify that he and the accused received protection
payments from SP bookies Neil Crookshank and the late Clary Parsons.
Police bagman Jack Herbert would tell of his involvement in that protection racket and
say that Parker had been very much part of the joke back in the 60s.
Pembroke, Crookshank and Herbert are all indemnified from prosecution.
A drug addict who killed the owner of an old car he was trying to steal was sent to jail
today for 16 years.
Sully Young has more on that story.
Joseph Scalise was unarmed and wearing pyjamas when he went to investigate noises outside
his home on November 12th last year.
He confronted Conn Cosmedis who was trying to steal his wife's car.
Within minutes Mr Scalise was dead, stabbed through the heart with a butterfly knife that
Cosmedis pulled from his pocket.
Cosmedis was arrested two days later and pleaded not guilty, but last week a jury convicted
him of murder.
The Supreme Court was told today Cosmedis had taken the sedative Rohypnol and his manner
was uninhibited when he stabbed Mr Scalise.
Mr Justice Ashley said Cosmedis' low IQ and history of drug use gave an overall picture
consistent with immaturity of approach and a personality upset.
He said the crime was unprovoked and instantaneous.
In sentencing the judge said the penalty must reflect the severity of the crime while still
offering a chance for rehabilitation.
He ordered Cosmedis serve 16 years jail with a minimum parole period of 11 years.
Outside court Ray Scalise said it was ironic that his brother, a social worker, was killed
by someone he would normally try to help.
He cared for people, he always had respect for everyone.
He stuck up for people like Conn Cosmedis.
It's just unbelievable, I don't know.
Sally Young, 7 News.
After the break violent anti-Soviet protests in the streets of the Lithuanian capital.
Britain could be in for a snap election if Maggie Thatcher is defeated by former Defence
Minister Michael Heseltine in tomorrow's Conservative leadership challenge.