Prime Minister John Howard says...

"Australia is a terrorist target because it is a Western nation not because of its support for the US. "

Bullshit.

More Government Hypocrisy

The ABC news today carries this statement about Foreign minister Alexander Downer:

" Australian Foreign Minister Alexander Downer has defended the Government's attempts to return asylum seekers to Iraq despite describing Saddam's regime as the most 'barbarous in the world'.

Mr Downer has been speaking in Federal Parliament against the Iraqi Government, accusing it of sanctioning murder and torture.

But on ABC radio in Adelaide this morning Mr Downer said those being sent back are deemed not at risk from Saddam.

'We don't send people back who would be at risk. We send people back who we think have been rorting the system,' he said.

Mr Downer was asked if Government could justify sending any human being back to a regime it decries as "inhuman".

'Not all people in Iraq. There are 22 to 23 million people in Iraq, not all of them are going to be put to death I suspect.'

This is a further example of the gross hypocrisy our government is engaged in. We refuse entry to Iraqi refugees, insisting they return to Iraq, then insist that Iraq is an evil country run by a murderous dictator (which Saddam is). And then the politicians have the gall to say we are fighting for "our vaues". These hypocritical values are not my values, and I believe would not be the values of the vast majority of Australians.

The truth about Powell's 'evidence'

A reporter from the Observer in the UK shows in this article the truth about the so called terrorist camp with links to Al Qaeda in northern Iraq. It turns out to be small group of Iraqi moslems in a fight with Kurds. There are no chemical weapons or weapons of mass destruction - more like weapons of mass distraction (thanks to Gore Vidal for that expression) concocted by the USA Defense Dept.

Lies, stupidity and audio tape

Regarding the latest Bin Laden audio tape broadcast by Al Jazeera, Australia's foreign affairs minister, Alexander Downer, says " early advice indicates the tape is genuine and he is concerned that it indicates a possible link between bin Laden's Al Qaeda terrorist network and the Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein" according to the ABC. He says:

"This latest tape does contain some very disturbing words, it reinforces the Government's concern, if ever reinforcement was needed that if weapons of mass destruction were to fall into the hands of terrorist this would devastating consequences for global security,"

You could have no more proof of our government's obsequiousness towards President Bush, and sheer display of stupidity (or just plain contempt for the rest of us) than to claim that OSB's support for Iraq (clearly in response to USA's threats) demonstrates a "possible link" between Al Qaeda and Iraq.

Peace on Earth, and Bombs towards all Men

The Australian Minister for Defence says that sending troops to Iraq (we've just sent some more over - 440 personnel and 17 aircraft) is designed to lessen the likelihood of war in Iraq. Looking at his face as he says this, I can't believe he is sincere. The argument, of course, is that by presenting a "credible threat", we will put genuine fear into the Iraqi government and that they will then capitulate. Yeah. Right. Or it might make it just as likely that Iraq will be even more defiant. Our prime minister is resorting now to direct, bald face lying. He has sent SAS troops, and a few others, yet keeps publicly stating that he hasn't made up his mind whether to be involved in a US led war against Iraq. Hasn't made up his mind?? He has just sent troops over there; he constantly repeats his support for everything son-of-a-Bush says about Iraq and Saddam Hussein. If he genuinely believes that he has not made up his mind, then he should be pitied, since he has even deluded himself.

It seems to me that Bush's attack is inevitable now. Blair may even convince the French and Germans to abstain in any UN vote, thus clearing the way for the USA to launch their attack and pretend that there is UN support for it. The war will be brief, and will result in "victory" for the USA. But the result will not be peace.

The result will be

- a death blow to the whole idea of international co-operation and the effort for nations to get on in the world without using force except as a last or defensive resort. Nations will realise more than ever that only force and might matter;

- destabilisation of the whole middle east - muslims and arabs in these very undemocratic countries currently supported by the USA are likely to revolt

- terrorist activities like we've never seen before.

The war will be won. The peace will be lost. Probably lost for a good 50 years or so.
The USA has thrown away the opportunity to to deal with the very real injustice and threats to peace in the world in a just way, and set an example for good. It has chosen the same old way of the past in human history. Might is Right.

"Large Nations do what they want, small nations do what they must"

I cry for my children.