For almost nine months, the Australian Defence Force has been working up detailed plans for a possible war with Iraq. But before any engagement with an enemy, those plans are coming unstuck. Eleven sailors on three ships heading to the Gulf are coming home, unwilling to accept anthrax vaccinations, and there are more who are considering following them. Faced with the unexpected loss of crew, the navy is now examining whether more sailors will have to be deployed to replace the vaccine objectors.

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Compere: Tony Jones
Reporter: Greg Jennett
 

TONY JONES: For almost nine months, the Australian Defence Force has been working up detailed plans for a possible war with Iraq.

But before any engagement with an enemy, those plans are coming unstuck.

Eleven sailors on three ships heading to the Gulf are coming home, unwilling to accept anthrax vaccinations, and there are more who are considering following them.

Faced with the unexpected loss of crew, the navy is now examining whether more sailors will have to be deployed to replace the vaccine objectors.

From Canberra, Greg Jennett reports.

GREG JENNETT: HMAS Kanimbla crewman Simon Bond was the first member of the Defence Force to come to public attention for not accepting an anthrax inoculation.

SIMON BOND, HMAS KANIMBLA: I know all my mates are still onboard Kanimbla and they've still got concerns about this and there's nothing they can do about it.

GREG JENNETT: It's now known that Able Seaman Bond and the two other sailors removed with him from the Kanimbla weren't alone.

GENERAL PETER COSGROVE: And the number is eight.

And they are either in the air or just arrived.

GREG JENNETT: That's a total of 11 taken off three navy ships, and there are more sailors with doubts about the injections.

GENERAL PETER COSGROVE: We'd prefer to regard everybody else as having difficulties and with whom we are having discussions to see if we can resolve the difficulties with them.

GREG JENNETT: The navy confirmed the crew wasn't told of the vaccination plan before leaving.

VICE ADMIRAL CHRIS RITCHIE: But I would suggest that, before the ship sailed, there was no public announcement that that vaccination would happen.

GREG JENNETT: Defence isn't aware of anyone objecting in the army or air force.

While the evidence came out at Senate estimates hearings, the Opposition was seeking political explanations in the House.

Simon Crean says, with a 4-week window between injection and full protection, the sailors have been placed in danger.

SIMON CREAN, OPPOSITION LEADER: Doesn't this mean that our sailors will be in a war zone and could be exposed to a potential anthrax attack before they're fully protected?

GREG JENNETT: Defence officials deny there's any health risk posed by the vaccine.

Although ships crews weren't told by their commanders that injections would be given, it wasn't a complete secret.

The Defence Minister told the media on 11 January that inoculations would be given to deployed troops where anthrax was considered to be a threat.

But it was diplomacy rather than defence which most rankled the Labor Party today.

Simon Crean hit back at the US Ambassador, who, in an interview with the Bulletin magazine, suggested the Labor leader hasn't tried to develop a relationship with the Bush Administration.

SIMON CREAN: He has to be strongly warned that it is off limits for a US ambassador to interfere in the domestic politics of Australia.

GREG JENNETT: He wants the ambassador counselled, stopping short of the tougher sanction of a re-call to Washington.

The PM doesn't believe the ambassador's done anything wrong.

JOHN HOWARD, PRIME MINISTER: I think what the ambassador was doing is defending his president against some of the personal criticism.

I would expect an Australian high commissioner or the Australian Ambassador to defend an Australian PM of either side of politics against personal criticism.

GREG JENNETT: Mr Crean and the ambassador will face off at a meeting when Mr Schieffer recovers from illness.

Greg Jennett, Lateline.