A REFUGEE being held on Manus Island has described the anguish of feeling like “I can be traded for anything” in a conversation between Malcolm Turnbull and Donald Trump.

Imran Mohammad, who has been in offshore detention for almost four years, cried after reading a leaked transcript of the two leaders discussing a people-swap deal, feeling as if he were “just a product”.

“I am just a human being and there is no need to play with my life. All I want is to respect and love others and be loved and respected in return,” he said on Friday in a statement released by the Human Rights Law Centre.

“All I need is a sense of belonging to a safe country so that I can live a life that every human deserves.”

During the January phone call, revealed in full by the Washington Post, the prime minister corralled the new president into endorsing the refugee deal. The agreement, hatched with the Obama administration, involved the US accepting up to 1250 refugees held on Manus Island and Nauru, in return for Australia taking asylum seekers from Central America.

Mr Turnbull assured the president he wasn’t obliged to accept a single refugee under the deal, needing only to process them to hold up his end of the bargain. The prime minister said Australia would rather take “a not very attractive guy” than a Nobel Peace Prize winner who came by boat.

Mr Trump praised Mr Turnbull for being “worse than I am” on rejecting refugees but bemoaned the “disgusting” deal.

More than 1600 refugees have expressed interest in the US resettlement deal, which is expected to offer about 1200 places.

LABOR DEMANDS TURNBULL COME CLEAN

Labor has demanded Malcolm Turnbull come clean on the refugee swap deal after a leaked transcript of his conversation with Donald Trump revealed he made major concessions to the US President.

The Labor spokesman for immigration and border protection Shayne Neumann has issued a statement asserting the transcript raises concerns “Australia will simply take anyone the US wants” in return for an end to the ongoing Manus-Naru refugee resettlement fiasco.

“(Turnbull’s) mismanagement has called into doubt the credibility of the agreements and the Government’s ability to execute them.”

Speaking briefly in Broome, Mr Turnbull refused to comment “on the leak of this supposed transcript” but did say the conversation occurred in the context of a show of “mutual support”.

“It’s always better when these conversations remain confidential but I haven’t got any further comments to make on it,” he said.

A live video stream of the press conference shared by the PM’s office mysteriously cut out when questions turned to the leak.

Quizzed about the people swap - a descriptor that the government has always rejected - Mr Turnbull said Australia’s relationship with the United States on refugee policy was based on mutual assistance.

“We help the Americans, they help us; it’s in the context of a very big relationship of mutual support,” he told reporters in Broome. The Prime Minister also sought to downplay his admissions about discretion the US has over refugee numbers.

“It has been always been subject to American vetting procedures, because that’s always been part of the arrangement.”

“WE WILL TAKE ANYONE YOU WANT”

The Prime Minister made the extraordinary offer to accept America’s most “unattractive guys” as part of the refugee swap, the leaked transcript reveals.

Mr Turnbull has repeatedly denied there was any “swap” as part of the United States’ offer to take 1250 economic refugees from Manus and Nauru.

“Basically, we are taking people from the previous administration that they were very keen on getting out of the United States,” Mr Turnbull explained to Mr Trump during the January phone call.

“We will take more. We will take anyone that you want us to take. The only people that we do not take are people who come by boat. So we would rather take a not very attractive guy that help you out then to take a Noble (sic) Peace Prize winner that comes by boat. That is the point.”

At a second point in the phone call, Mr Turnbull once again indicated that Mr Trump needed to take the refugees from Manus and Nauru because it was part of a “bargain” struck with former President Barack Obama.

“I say this to you sincerely that it is in the mutual interest of the United States to say, “yes, we can confirm with that deal — we are not obliged to take anybody we do not want, we will go through extreme vetting” and that way you are seen to show the respect that a trusted ally wants and deserves,” Mr Turnbull said.

“We will then hold up our end of the bargain by taking in our country 31 (inaudible) that you need to move on from.”

Mr Turnbull’s office last night was not clear on what the number 31 referred to and once again denied there was any swap as part of the deal struck with Mr Obama.

Mr Turnbull’s office said he could have been referring to the refugees from Central America that Australia had agreed to accept prior to Mr Obama’s decision to take the refugees from Manus and Nauru.

LABOR DEMANDS TURNBULL ‘COMES CLEAN’

The Labor spokesman for immigration and border protection Shayne Neumann says the Prime Minister must ‘come clean’ and detail the US-Australia refugee agreement, pointing to Mr Turnbull’s transcript statement that Trump needed “only go through the process’’.

“Labor strongly supports the US resettlement agreement but we are very concerned about the ambiguous and uncertain comments made by Malcolm Turnbull,” a statement issued by his office reads.

Thank you to Prime Minister of Australia for telling the truth about our very civil conversation that FAKE NEWS media lied about. Very nice! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 3, 2017

Mr Neumann accused Mr Turnbull of a “lack of judgment” and putting the agreement “at risk”.

Despite the deal having been negotiated late last year, he highlights no Manus or Naru refugees have yet been transferred to the US.

“Malcolm Turnbull’s comments also raise concern that Australia will simply take anyone the US wants as part of the Costa Rica agreement. His comments make clear the two agreements are linked ...

“(His) mismanagement has called into doubt the credibility of the agreements and the Government’s ability to execute them.”

“ENORMOUS PRESSURE”

Speaking to CNN, former Prime Minister Kevin Rudd said the transcript was damning and said: “I think is going to place enormous press on him in the Liberal party.”

It was under Mr Rudd’s prime ministership that the Naru-Manus detention centre program was initiated.

But Mr Rudd said the transcript was ‘hugely embarrassing’ and challenged Mr Turnbull’s credibility.

“What the PM has said in this exchange is quite remarkable,” he told CNN.

“One thing, he describes himself as just a transactional businessman. I mean, that’ll go down like a lead balloon at home.

“Secondly, then to say ‘hey look, we just want to be seen to be dealing with you guys, you don’t have to take any of these asylum seekers’ … (and then) say we’ll take anyone you want to send us.

“For Turnbull himself, it goes to deep questions concerning his honesty and integrity in his dealings with the Australian people.”

Mr Rudd said the Prime Minister’s credibility was already a ‘problem’, and he had only a tenuous hold on the leadership of his party.

“He’s already on shaky ground… I think this is going to place enormous pressure on him in the Liberal party.”

In relation to the way Mr Trump spoke in the transcript, Mr Rudd said it was “not really normal” and “right out there”.

Mr Turnbull is travelling to the Northern Territory and his spokesman said there were no plans to address the media today.

However Sky News reports his office has claimed it was “a rough transcript”.

‘WE SHOULD DO THAT TOO’

The Washington Post obtained the transcript of the January 28 call between Mr Turnbull and Mr Trump days after the US President’s inauguration.

The transcript of the call is based on records kept by White House note-takers monitoring the President’s phone calls called a “memorandum of conversation.”

The newspaper said the classified transcript had been reviewed and classified Trump’s National Security Council chief of staff, retired Lt. General Keith Kellogg Jr.

It said these transcripts were commonly circulated to White House staff and senior policymakers.

Mr Trump initially expressed admiration for Australia’s policy of refusing refugees the right to land on Australian shores, saying it “is a good idea. We should do that too.”

He also tells Mr Turnbull “you are worse than I am” in an apparent compliment over the hard line stance.

However, Mr Trump starts getting angry at the thought of having to take Australia’s refugees.

‘THEY ARE BAD’

“I hate taking these people,” Mr Trump said. “I guarantee you they are bad. That is why they are in prison right now. They are not going to be wonderful people who go on to work for the local milk people.”

Mr Trump describes himself at one point as “the world’s greatest person who does not want to let people­ into the country”.

Mr Trump angrily suggested the refugees could “become the Boston Bomber in five years.”

“I think it is a horrible deal, a disgusting deal that I would have never made,” Mr Trump said. “As far as I am concerned, that is enough, Malcolm. I have had it.”

ART OF THE DEAL

“There is nothing more important in business or politics than a deal is a deal,” Mr Turnbull said. “You can certainly say that it was not a deal that you would have done, but you are going to stick with it.”

Mr Trump was indignant.

“You have brokered many a stupid deal in business and I respect you but I guarantee that you broke many a stupid deal,” Mr Trump reportedly told Mr Turnbull. “This is a stupid deal … this deal will make me look terrible.

FULL TRANSCRIPT: Scroll to the bottom of this story

Mr Turnbull appeared to imply that Mr Trump only had to go through the motions of respecting the deal.

“You can decide to take them or to not take them after vetting,” he said. “You can decide to take 1000 or 100. It is entirely up to you. The obligation is to only go through the process.”

‘THIS IS RIDICULOUS’

In one of the most offensive elements of the phone call, an emotional Mr Trump tells Turnbull he enjoyed his call with Russian President Vladimir Putin much more — when Australia is one of America’s closest allies and Russia has long been an aggressive adversary.

“I have had it. I have been making these calls all day and this is the most unpleasant call all day. Putin was a pleasant call. This is ridiculous,” Mr Trump said.

“Look, I spoke to Putin, Merkel, Abe of Japan, to France today and this was my most unpleasant call because I will be honest with you. I hate taking these people. I guarantee you they are bad. This is why they are in prisons right now. They are not going to be wonderful people who go on to work for the local milk people.”

When Mr Turnbull tried to turn the conversation to Syria and North Korea, Mr Trump said: “This is crazy” and abruptly wrapped up the phone call, without covering other subjects.

“You can count on me,” Mr Turnbull said. “I will be there again and again.”

“I hope so,” Mr Trump said before saying thank you and hanging up.

The transcript also reveals Mr Turnbull has had contact with Mr Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner in ahead of his call with Mr Trump.

PHONECALL FALLOUT

Trump has repeatedly attacked the media for “Fake News” over its reporting on the difficult phone call.

“Thank you to Prime Minister of Australia for telling the truth about our very civil conversation that FAKE NEWS media lied about. Very nice!,” Mr Trump tweeted in February.

When Mr Trump and Mr Turnbull met in New York in May, they both again downplayed any difficulty during their phone call call.

Environment and Energy Minister Josh Frydenberg told Sky News this morning: “Life is never boring in Washington”.

He earlier told ABC Radio the leak demonstrated the govenrment’s determination.

“We have an issue here in Australia that we came to government to solve. The Prime Minister reiterated in that phone call to the president that our strategy is to deny the evil people smugglers a product to sell.”

But others saw a more sinister side.

“(The) leaked transcript with Trump proves what we always knew — the refugee swap deal with the US is a sham and means no resolution for people,” Greens Senator Sarah Hanson-Young tweeted this morning. “The false hope and lack of empathy or care for the people suffering on Manus and Nauru is what is most disgusting from the Trump/Turnbull call.”

TRUMP MOVES ON LEAKS

For months, US President Donald Trump has repeatedly fumed on Twitter about leaks to the “fake news” media seen as casting his administration in a bad light.

Now he apparently plans to do something about it.

AFP reports Attorney-General Jeff Sessions and Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats are to hold a briefing later tonight to address “leaks of classified material threatening national security.”

The announcement comes after six months of political intrigue and open feuding in the White House, which has manifested itself in a torrent of damaging revelations to the media.

The publication by The Washington Post of the contents of private phone calls between Trump and foreign leaders was unusual even by the standards of this administration.

THE TRUMP-TURNBULL TRANSCRIPT:

TURNBULL: Good evening.

TRUMP: Mr. Prime Minister, how are you?

TURNBULL: I am doing very well.

TRUMP: And I guess our friend Greg Norman, he is doing very well?

TURNBULL: He is a great mutual friend yes.

TRUMP: Well you say hello to him. He is a very good friend. By the way thank you very much for taking the call. I really appreciate it. It is really nice.

TURNBULL: Thank you very much. Everything is going very well. I want to congratulate you and Mike Pence on being sworn in now. I have spoken to you both now as you know. I know we are both looking to make our relationship which is very strong and intimate, stronger than ever — which I believe we can do.

TRUMP: Good.

TURNBULL: I believe you and I have similar backgrounds, unusual for politicians, more businessman but I look forward to working together.

TRUMP: That is exactly right. We do have similar backgrounds and it seems to be working in this climate — it is a crazy climate. Let me tell you this, it is an evil time but it is a complex time because we do not have uniforms standing in front of us. Instead, we have people in disguise. It is brutal. This ISIS thing — it is something we are going to devote a lot of energy to it. I think we are going to be very successful.

TURNBULL: Absolutely. We have, as you know, taken a very strong line on national security and border protection here and when I was speaking with Jared Kushner just the other day and one of your immigration advisers in the White House we reflected on how our policies have helped to inform your approach. We are very much of the same mind. It is very interesting to know how you prioritise the minorities in your Executive Order. This is exactly what we have done with the program to bring in 12,000 Syrian refugees, 90% of which will be Christians. It will be quite deliberate and the position I have taken — I have been very open about it — is that it is a tragic fact of life that when the situation in the Middle East settles down — the people that are going to be most unlikely to have a continuing home are those Christian minorities. We have seen that in Iraq and so from our point of view, as a final destination for refugees, that is why we prioritise. It is not a sectarian thing. It is recognition of the practical political realities. We have a similar perspective in that respect.

TRUMP: Do you know four years ago Malcolm, I was with a man who does this for a living. He was telling me, before the migration, that if you were a Christian from Syria, you had no chance of coming to the United States. Zero. They were the ones being persecuted. When I say persecuted, I mean their heads were being chopped off. If you were a Muslim we have nothing against Muslims, but if you were a Muslim you were not persecuted at least to the extent — but if you were a Muslim from Syria that was the number one place to get into the United States from. That was the easiest thing. But if you were a Christian from Syria you have no chance of getting into the United States. I just thought it was an incredible statistic. Totally true — and you have seen the same thing. It is incredible.

TURNBULL: Well, yes. Mr. President, can I return to the issue of the resettlement agreement that we had with the Obama administration with respect to some people on Nauru and Manus Island. I have written to you about this and Mike Pence and General Flynn spoke with Julie Bishop and my National Security Advisor yesterday. This is a very big issue for us, particularly domestically, and I do understand you are inclined to a different point of view than the Vice President.

TRUMP: Well, actually I just called for a total ban on Syria and from many different countries from where there is terror, and extreme vetting for everyone else — and somebody told me yesterday that close to 2,000 people are coming who are really probably troublesome. And I am saying, boy that will make us look awfully bad. Here I am calling for a ban where I am not letting anybody in and we take 2,000 people. Really it looks like 2,000 people that Australia does not want and I do not blame you by the way, but the United States has become like a dumping ground. You know Malcolm, anybody that has a problem — you remember the Mariel boat lift, where Castro let everyone out of prison and Jimmy Carter accepted them with open arms. These were brutal people. Nobody said Castro was stupid, but now what are we talking about is 2,000 people that are actually imprisoned and that would actually come into the United States. I heard about this — I have to say I love Australia; I love the people of Australia. I have so many friends from Australia, but I said — geez that is a big ask, especially in light of the fact that we are so heavily in favour, not in favour, but we have no choice but to stop things. We have to stop. We have allowed so many people into our country that should not be here. We have our San Bernardino’s, we have had the World Trade Center come down because of people that should not have been in our country, and now we are supposed to take 2,000. It sends such a bad signal. You have no idea. It is such a bad thing.

TURNBULL: Can you hear me out Mr. President?

TRUMP: Yeah, go ahead.

TURNBULL: Yes, the agreement, which the Vice President just called the Foreign Minister about less than 24 hours ago and said your Administration would be continuing, does not require you to take 2,000 people. It does not require you to take any. It requires, in return, for us to do a number of things for the United States — this is a big deal, I think we should respect deals.

TRUMP: Who made the deal? Obama?

TURNBULL: Yes, but let me describe what it is. I think it is quite consistent. I think you can comply with it. It is absolutely consistent with your Executive Order so please just hear me out. The obligation is for the United States to look and examine and take up to and only if they so choose — 1,250 to 2,000. Every individual is subject to your vetting. You can decide to take them or to not take them after vetting. You can decide to take 1,000 or 100. It is entirely up to you. The obligation is to only go through the process. So that is the first thing. Secondly, the people — none of these people are from the conflict zone. They are basically economic refugees from Iran, Pakistan, and Afghanistan. That is the vast bulk of them. They have been under our supervision for over three years now and we know exactly everything about them.

TRUMP: Why haven’t you let them out? Why have you not let them into your society?

TURNBULL: Okay, I will explain why. It is not because they are bad people. It is because in order to stop people smugglers, we had to deprive them of the product. So we said if you try to come to Australia by boat, even if we think you are the best person in the world, even if you are a Noble [sic] Prize winning genius, we will not let you in. Because the problem with the people —

TRUMP: That is a good idea. We should do that too. You are worse than I am.

TURNBULL: This is our experience.

TRUMP: Because you do not want to destroy your country. Look at what has happened in Germany. Look at what is happening in these countries. These people are crazy to let this happen. I spoke to Merkel today, and believe me, she wishes she did not do it. Germany is a mess because of what happened.

TURNBULL: I agree with you, letting one million Syrians walk into their country. It was one of the big factors in the Brexit vote, frankly.

TRUMP: Well, there could be two million people coming in Germany. Two million people. Can you believe it? It will never be the same.

TURNBULL: I stood up at the UN in September and set up what our immigration policy was. I said that you cannot maintain popular support for immigration policy, multiculturalism, unless you can control your borders. The bottom line is that we got here. I am asking you as a very good friend. This is a big deal. It is really, really important to us that we maintain it. It does not oblige you to take one person that you do not want. As I have said, your homeland officials have visited and they have already interviewed these people. You can decide. It is at your discretion. So you have the wording in the Executive Order that enables the Secretary of Homeland Security and the Secretary of State to admit people on a case-by-case basis in order to conform with an existing agreement. I do believe that you will never find a better friend to the United States than Australia. I say this to you sincerely that it is in the mutual interest of the United States to say, “yes, we can conform with that deal — we are not obliged to take anybody we do not want, we will go through extreme vetting” and that way you are seen to show the respect that a trusted ally wants and deserves. We will then hold up our end of the bargain by taking in our country 31 [inaudible] that you need to move on from.

TRUMP: Malcom [sic], why is this so important? I do not understand. This is going to kill me. I am the world’s greatest person that does not want to let people into the country. And now I am agreeing to take 2,000 people and I agree I can vet them, but that puts me in a bad position. It makes me look so bad and I have only been here a week.

TURNBULL: With great respect, that is not right — It is not 2,000.

TRUMP: Well, it is close. I have also heard like 5,000 as well.

TURNBULL: The given number in the agreement is 1,250 and it is entirely a matter of your vetting. I think that what you could say is that the Australian government is consistent with the principles set out in the Executive Order.

TRUMP: No, I do not want say that. I will just have to say that unfortunately I will have to live with what was said by Obama. I will say I hate it. Look, I spoke to Putin, Merkel, Abe of Japan, to France today, and this was my most unpleasant call because I will be honest with you. I hate taking these people. I guarantee you they are bad. That is why they are in prison right now. They are not going to be wonderful people who go on to work for the local milk people.

TURNBULL: I would not be so sure about that. They are basically —

TRUMP: Well, maybe you should let them out of prison. I am doing this because Obama made a bad deal. I am not doing this because it fits into my Executive Order. I am taking 2,000 people from Australia who are in prison and the day before I signed an Executive Order saying that we are not taking anybody in. We are not taking anybody in, those days are over.

TURNBULL: But can I say to you, there is nothing more important in business or politics than a deal is a deal. Look, you and I have a lot of mutual friends.

TRUMP: Look, I do not know how you got them to sign a deal like this, but that is how they lost the election. They said I had no way to 270 and I got 306. That is why they lost the election, because of stupid deals like this. You have brokered many a stupid deal in business and I respect you, but I guarantee that you broke many a stupid deal. This is a stupid deal. This deal will make me look terrible.

TURNBULL: Mr. President, I think this will make you look like a man who stands by the commitments of the United States. It shows that you are a committed —

TRUMP: Okay, this shows me to be a dope. I am not like this but, if I have to do it, I will do it but I do not like this at all. I will be honest with you. Not even a little bit. I think it is ridiculous and Obama should have never signed it. The only reason I will take them is because I have to honour a deal signed by my predecessor and it was a rotten deal. I say that it was a stupid deal like all the other deals that this country signed. You have to see what I am doing. I am unlocking deals that were made by people, these people were incompetent. I am not going to say that it fits within the realm of my Executive Order. We are going to allow 2,000 prisoners to come into our country and it is within the realm of my Executive Order? If that is the case my Executive Order does not mean anything Malcom [sic]. I look like a dope. The only way that I can do this is to say that my predecessor made a deal and I have no option then to honour the deal. I hate having to do it, but I am still going to vet them very closely. Suppose I vet them closely and I do not take any?

TURNBULL: That is the point I have been trying to make.

TRUMP: How does that help you?

TURNBULL: Well, we assume that we will act in good faith.

TRUMP: Does anybody know who these people are? Who are they? Where do they come from? Are they going to become the Boston bomber in five years? Or two years? Who are these people?

TURNBULL: Let me explain. We know exactly who they are. They have been on Nauru or Manus for over three years and the only reason we cannot let them into Australia is because of our commitment to not allow people to come by boat. Otherwise we would have let them in. If they had arrived by aeroplane and with a tourist visa then they would be here.

TRUMP: Malcom [sic], but they are arrived on a boat?

TURNBULL: Correct, we have stopped the boats.

TRUMP: Give them to the United States. We are like a dumping ground for the rest of the world. I have been here for a period of time, I just want this to stop. I look so foolish doing this. It [sic] know it is good for you but it is bad for me. It is horrible for me. This is what I am trying to stop. I do not want to have more San Bernardino’s or World Trade Centers. I could name 30 others, but I do not have enough time.

TURNBULL: These guys are not in that league. They are economic refugees.

TRUMP: Okay, good. Can Australia give me a guarantee that if we have any problems — you know that is what they said about the Boston bombers. They said they were wonderful young men.

TURNBULL: They were Russians. They were not from any of these countries.

TRUMP: They were from wherever they were.

TURNBULL: Please, if we can agree to stick to the deal, you have complete discretion in terms of a security assessment. The numbers are not 2,000 but 1,250 to start. Basically, we are taking people from the previous administration that they were very keen on getting out of the United States. We will take more. We will take anyone that you want us to take. The only people that we do not take are people who come by boat. So we would rather take a not very attractive guy that help you out then to take a Noble [sic] Peace Prize winner that comes by boat. That is the point.

TRUMP: What is the thing with boats? Why do you discriminate against boats? No, I know, they come from certain regions. I get it.

TURNBULL: No, let me explain why. The problem with the boats it that you are basically outsourcing your immigration program to people smugglers and also you get thousands of people drowning at sea. So what we say is, we will decide which people get to come to Australia who are refugees, economic migrants, businessmen, whatever. We decide. That is our decision. We are a generous multicultural immigration nation like the United States but the government decides, the people’s representatives decides. So that is the point. I am a highly transactional businessman like you and I know the deal has to work for both sides. Now Obama thought this deal worked for him and he drove a hard bargain with us — that it was agreed with Obama more than a year ago in the Oval Office, long before the election. The principles of the deal were agreed to.

TRUMP: I do not know what he got out of it. We never get anything out of it — START Treaty, the Iran deal. I do not know where they find these people to make these stupid deals. I am going to get killed on this thing.

TURNBULL: You will not.

TRUMP: Yes, I will be seen as a weak and ineffective leader in my first week by these people. This is a killer.

TURNBULL: You can certainly say that it was not a deal that you would have done, but you are going to stick with it.

TRUMP: I have no choice to say that about it. Malcom [sic], I am going to say that I have no choice but to honour my predecessor’s deal. I think it is a horrible deal, a disgusting deal that I would have never made. It is an embarrassment to the United States of America and you can say it just the way I said it. I will say it just that way. As far as I am concerned that is enough Malcom [sic]. I have had it. I have been making these calls all day and this is the most unpleasant call all day. Putin was a pleasant call. This is ridiculous.

TURNBULL: Do you want to talk about Syria and DPRK?

TRUMP: [inaudible] this is crazy.

TURNBULL: Thank you for your commitment. It is very important to us.

TRUMP: It is important to you and it is embarrassing to me. It is an embarrassment to me, but at least I got you off the hook. So you put me back on the hook.

TURNBULL: You can count on me. I will be there again and again.

TRUMP: I hope so. Okay, thank you Malcolm.

TURNBULL: Okay, thank you.