Anti-war senators heckle Bush

Two senators opposed to the US-led war in Iraq have heckled the American president as he spoke to Australia's Parliament.

But George W Bush responded by smiling and saying: "I love free speech".

Green Party members, Senator Bob Brown and Senator Kerry Nettle, were ordered out of the chamber, but refused to leave.

Brown even shook Bush's hand after the address that was capped by a standing ovation.

The son of a terror suspect being held by US authorities at Guantanamo Bay in Cuba was removed from the public gallery.

Brown was the first to interrupt Bush, as the president said people should be happy that Saddam Hussein's regime had been toppled in Iraq. When a parliamentary official motioned for Brown to leave, he shook his head and sat in his seat.

When Bush paid tribute to Australia for promoting peace in Southeast Asia, Brown shouted: "But we are not a sheriff."

It was a reference to Bush's recent comment that Australia was a lawman in the war on terror. The comment apparently was intended to portray Australia as being on equal footing with the United States. Instead, it reinforced sentiment among some Asian nations that Canberra was an agent for the Bush administration.

Many members of the main opposition Labour Party share Brown and Nettle's anti-war sentiments but had been ordered by their leader Simon Crean to behave themselves during the speech.

Some Labour legislators made a more muted protest by remaining seated in their green leather chairs during a standing ovation at the end of the speech.

Earlier, 41 opposition lawmakers signed a letter criticising Bush's war decision, saying the war was conducted on the basis of a clear and present danger in Iraq that did not exist.