THE US ambassador to Australia has dismissed an insult from a federal Labor
MP, saying relations with the Opposition party were on the mend.
Labor frontbencher Martin Ferguson yesterday described US envoy Tom
Schieffer as "a grubby little ambassador" who continued to meddle in
Australia's domestic political affairs.
"I'll try to grow taller," Mr Schieffer joked today on Melbourne radio
station 3AW.
"I think people say things at times like this they don't give a lot of
thought too, so I'll let that one pass."
Mr Schieffer and Opposition Leader Simon Crean were involved in a bitter
public rift last month after the ambassador complained about Labor MPs'
comments during debate on Iraq.
The ambassador said relations with the party were stronger now after a
meeting with Mr Crean last month.
Meanwhile, Mr Schieffer said he did not believe Australia had moved higher
on the list as a potential terrorist target since joining the war against
Iraq.
"I think they've always been on the list ... the events in Bali showed
everybody associated with the West is a potential target," he said.
Mr Schieffer said US envoys around the world were always at risk, with more
than 37 Americans working in US embassies killed in the past few years.
"A US ambassador around the world is a trophy now for terrorists," he said.
"That's the situation. It really hasn't changed dramatically. I don't think
it would change as a result of this. It's just a fact of life."
http://www.heraldsun.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5478,6156260%255E421,00
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