From The Campaign Trail

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Howard and Downer claim the Cole Report has vindicated them. The children overboard, weapons of mass destruction Prime Minister stands before the Australian public claiming he did not know. In the AWB case he did not know despite 35 separate warnings. Warnings that started in 1998! At that early time his own Department, Defence and Foreign Affairs all knew. He did not know even though Australian UN Ambassador Dauth had been told of AWB kickbacks. And Howard continued his blissful ignorance for the next 33 warnings. In his usual you-must-believe-me-I-am-honest style Howard now claims that Commissioner Cole could have asked for different terms of reference. Well, here is one thing that Howard definitely did know. He knew that Commissioner Cole could not and would not ask for such terms of reference. He knew because Cole had said that asking for such terms would make his investigation significantly different from its original intent. Howard is Australia’s version of Donald Rumsfeld’s known unknowns - except in Howard's case he decides what he does not want to know and makes sure he then does not know it.