Australian PM Kevin Rudd agitated in Afghanistan

PM Kevin Rudd denies argument over hair dryer in Afghanistan

Steve Lewis and Ben Packham
Herald Sun
May 08, 2009 12:00am

KEVIN Rudd has denied he threw a "wobbly" over a hair dryer while in Afghanistan.

Coalition frontbencher John Cobb claimed the Prime Minister became agitated when Diggers couldn't find a hair dryer for a photo opportunity.

A livid Mr Rudd last night rejected the allegations as "laughable, ridiculous and untrue".

He also accused Liberal leader Malcolm Turnbull of denigrating the "good name" of Australia's frontline troops.

But Mr Cobb stood by his claims, saying he was told of the incident by forces in Afghanistan.

The alleged incident occurred when Mr Rudd and a small entourage made a secret dash into Afghanistan just before Christmas last year.

There have been stories circulating about it in Defence circles ever since.

Mr Cobb, National MP for the NSW seat of Calare, said the troops he spoke to at Tarin Kowt were staggered at Mr Rudd's behaviour.

"He chucked a wobbly," he said. "I heard from a few people in the Defence forces - they were going on and on about it."But the PM strongly denied the incident.

"The claims by Coalition MP John Cobb on behalf of the Liberal Party dirt unit of an alleged incident in Afghanistan are laughable, ridiculous and untrue," a spokesman for Mr Rudd told the Herald Sun.

The Herald Sun revealed last month Mr Rudd had reduced an RAAF flight attendant to tears during a flight from Port Morseby to Canberra in late January.

The PM was forced to publicly apologise after he complained about the food service on the VIP flight.

Rudd's Australia