Bush heckled as he thanks Australia and vows the war on terror will go on

President George Bush was jeered and heckled yesterday during an address to the Australian parliament, in which he thanked the nation for its support in the war against Iraq.

President Bush defended the American-led military action, claiming it was vindicated by the discovery in Iraq of secret biological laboratories and design work on prohibited long-range missiles.

He said: "America, Australia and other nations acted in Iraq to remove a grave and gathering danger, instead of wishing and waiting while tragedy drew closer."

Mr Bush hailed the Australian people for helping the US to "advance the ideals of democracy and freedom".

The people, though, were unable to hear him deliver those compliments unless they switched on their television sets. As part of a massive security operation to protect Mr Bush, they were shut out of Parliament House for the first time in the country's history.

With the public gallery closed, the job of expressing the anti-war sentiments of a substantial minority of Australians fell to two maverick senators, Bob Brown and Kerry Nettle. The pair, both members of the Green Party, were ejected from the chamber. Interrupted by them for the second time, Mr Bush said, smiling between gritted teeth: "I love free speech."

Australia, which has fought alongside the US in every war of the past century, was one of the few countries to send troops to Iraq. Mr Bush praised the "bravery and skill" of its military, and described John Howard, the Prime Minister, as "a leader of except-ional courage".

Mr Howard saluted "the character and the strength and the leadership of the man we welcome today". Among those listening to the mutual backslapping was Ahmed Habib, 18, whose father, Mamdouh, is one of two Australians detained in the US military prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. Mr Habib, in parliament as a guest of the Greens, was also thrown out, after shouting: "Hey Bush, what about my dad?"

Only 2,000 or so demonstrators turned up, and they were kept 100 yards away, almost out of earshot.

They were given permission to use microphones, but only if they pointed the speakers away from the building. Inside, most people listened politely and clapped- even opposition MPs, who had threatened to turn their backs on the President.

Mr Bush, who spent just 20 hours in Australia, his final stop on a whirlwind tour of Asia, added: "The terrorists cannot be appeased. They must be found, and they must be fought, and they must be defeated."