Fed: Howard denies he was involved in selecting photos

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Fed: Howard denies he was involved in selecting photos

CANBERRA, Feb 18 AAP - Prime Minister John Howard today denied he was involved in selectingphotos of asylum seekers in the water to back government claims that adults had thrownchildren from a people smuggling boat.

Mr Howard said he wasn't aware of how only two of the many photos taken by navy personnelof the sinking of the asylum seekers' boat came to be released.

The government released two close-up photographs during the election campaign to backclaims - later proved to be false - that asylum seekers threw children overboard froma vessel heading for Australia.

It emerged last week that the photos, along with many others released yesterday byLabor, actually depicted an incident a day later when the boat sank and all its occupantshad to swim to safety.

Defence Minister Senator Robert Hill said last night more photos of the boat sinkingwere sent to former defence minister Peter Reith but not released.

"I can tell you bluntly and directly that at no stage was I involved in any kind ofdiscussion or consideration of just putting our two photographs to put the best lighton what the government was putting forward," Mr Howard said on the Nine Network.

"I was aware there were some photographs. I indicated that in the parliament. Thosephotographs were released by Mr Reith I think on October 10.

"Later on in the campaign a lot of doubt arose whether or not those photographs depictedthe events of the 7th of the events of the following day when the ship sank."

Mr Howard said he was not aware who selected the photographs which had been sent toMr Reith's office.

He said the government yesterday sought advice from the acting head of the defenceforce and he had advised that just two photographs had been sent to Mr Reith's office.

Subsequently that advice was qualified to say additional photos had been sent.

"Having been misinformed once and having made public statements on the basis of that,I don't intend to make any more public statements about what happened to these photographsuntil I am completely satisfied that an exhaustive investigation has been made," he said.

"I have been totally in the dark about these additional photographs and quite honestlyhaving been, inadvertently I am sure, misled once, I don't intend to get caught again."

Mr Howard said he did not believe he had been deliberately kept in the dark.

"I can understand how in an atmosphere of people trying to set fire to a boat, of threatsbeing made, of children being held up at the railing, I can understand how naval officerson the spot in these very stressful circumstances might have been in error as to whetherpeople were thrown overboard."

AAP mb/sp

KEYWORD: BOAT HOWARD