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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
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| 'Baddies v baddies': Tony Abbott defends his analysis of Syrian conflict | 'Baddies v baddies': Tony Abbott defends his analysis of Syrian conflict |
| (about 5 hours later) | |
| The opposition leader, Tony Abbott, has defended his comments about the Syrian conflict, in which he claimed it was about "baddies versus baddies", saying the British prime minister, David Cameron, and former US president Bill Clinton both used similar colloquialisms when talking about complex problems. | The opposition leader, Tony Abbott, has defended his comments about the Syrian conflict, in which he claimed it was about "baddies versus baddies", saying the British prime minister, David Cameron, and former US president Bill Clinton both used similar colloquialisms when talking about complex problems. |
| The prime minister, Kevin Rudd, attacked the opposition leader as being from the "John Wayne school of international relations" after Abbott was asked about the escalating Syrian conflict on Sunday and replied: "It's not goodies versus baddies, it's baddies versus baddies." | The prime minister, Kevin Rudd, attacked the opposition leader as being from the "John Wayne school of international relations" after Abbott was asked about the escalating Syrian conflict on Sunday and replied: "It's not goodies versus baddies, it's baddies versus baddies." |
| Rudd said the comment was the most simplistic analysis of an international issue had had ever heard. | Rudd said the comment was the most simplistic analysis of an international issue had had ever heard. |
| "I think people just scratch their head," he said. "The last time I used the term goodies and baddies, I think was when I was playing cowboys and Indians, in the back garden. I think I stopped doing that at the age of 10. | |
| "We're talking about serious questions of national security. Serious questions of international relations, and the alternative prime minister of Australia is referring to this as no more complex than goodies v baddies or baddies v baddies." | |
| Abbott said Labor was "hyperventilating" and argued other international leaders had used colloquialisms such as "bad guys" when talking about international conflicts. | Abbott said Labor was "hyperventilating" and argued other international leaders had used colloquialisms such as "bad guys" when talking about international conflicts. |
| "I think the odd use of colloquialisms is perfectly appropriate if you are trying to explain to the public exactly what the situation is," he said at a press conference in Sydney on Monday morning. | "I think the odd use of colloquialisms is perfectly appropriate if you are trying to explain to the public exactly what the situation is," he said at a press conference in Sydney on Monday morning. |
| "One thing I would never do is use a profanity in relation to a very important world power, which as we know the prime minister did after Copenhagen." | "One thing I would never do is use a profanity in relation to a very important world power, which as we know the prime minister did after Copenhagen." |
| Kevin Rudd reportedly described China as "rat fuckers" after the 2009 UN climate change summit in the Danish capital. | Kevin Rudd reportedly described China as "rat fuckers" after the 2009 UN climate change summit in the Danish capital. |
| The shadow foreign affairs minister, Julie Bishop, also defended the comments using a similar argument to Abbott and referring to the language used by international leaders. | The shadow foreign affairs minister, Julie Bishop, also defended the comments using a similar argument to Abbott and referring to the language used by international leaders. |
| "What Tony Abbott was articulating is what many foreign policy analysts are saying, the situation in Syria is far more nuanced than the ... world view of good versus evil. On both sides of this conflict are the bad guys," she said on ABC radio on Monday morning," Bishop said. | "What Tony Abbott was articulating is what many foreign policy analysts are saying, the situation in Syria is far more nuanced than the ... world view of good versus evil. On both sides of this conflict are the bad guys," she said on ABC radio on Monday morning," Bishop said. |
| "Both President Obama and prime minister Cameron have used the phrase 'the bad guys' in the past and, in fact, David has said of Syria the rebel forces in Syria include quote 'a lot of bad guys' – so according to Labor that makes President Obama and prime minister Cameron unsophisticated? I don't think so." | "Both President Obama and prime minister Cameron have used the phrase 'the bad guys' in the past and, in fact, David has said of Syria the rebel forces in Syria include quote 'a lot of bad guys' – so according to Labor that makes President Obama and prime minister Cameron unsophisticated? I don't think so." |
| Australia has taken over the rotating presidency of the UN security council while the permanent members – China, France, Russia, Britain and the US – are at loggerheads over whether international intervention is needed in Syria as its civil war escalates with allegations of chemical weapons being used. | Australia has taken over the rotating presidency of the UN security council while the permanent members – China, France, Russia, Britain and the US – are at loggerheads over whether international intervention is needed in Syria as its civil war escalates with allegations of chemical weapons being used. |
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