APOLOGIES FOR CROSS-POSTINGS Dear All
US President George Bush has promised to address the United Nations on September 12 to outline his case for "dealing with the threat" posed by Iraq. As you are aware, there is growing opposition to the idea of an attack by the United States on Iraq, and to the Australian Government's overenthusiastic support for this position. In order to focus opposition and send a clear message to the Government, Greens Senator Kerry Nettle has drafted the attached statement. Drafting has taken into account input by the ACTU, the Catholic Church, the Uniting Church and a former ALP Parliamentarian. We are seeking the broadest possible support for this position. Signatures by all organisations and individuals are welcome. Please send this email on to anyone you know who may be interested. If you would like to put your name to this statement please reply to [EMAIL PROTECTED] or call Senator Kerry Nettle's office on 92 9241 6663 with the following information: * Your name, title and organisation * your postal address * your telephone and fax contacts An initial list of signatories will be released on September 12, however signatures will continue to be collected after that date. Thank you in advance. Alison Gibbins Campaigner Office of Senator Kerry Nettle Australian Greens NO TO WAR ON IRAQ War on Iraq Since the tragic events of September 11, 2001 our Government has been part of an alliance with the United States pursuing the so-called War on Terrorism. In recent months US President George W Bush has been talking about an alarming extension of this war to new fronts. In particular, public comments by the US and Australian Government have focused on Iraq as a military target. No evidence This planned attack on Iraq is despite the fact that there is no evidence linking the Iraqi Government or people to the attacks of September 11. President Bush has said that Iraq has weapons of mass destruction. But little evidence that Iraq has these weapons has been released to the Australian Government or the public. On the contrary, many commentators, including a former UN weapons inspector, say that Iraq does not have weapons of mass destruction capability. The US push for regime change through war is undermining international pressure to send in UN weapons inspectors to find out what weapons, if any, Iraq actually holds. No law A US attack on Iraq would not be an act of self-defence. It would be a 'pre-emptive strike' - an unprovoked attack by a strong country against a weak one. Pre-emptive strikes are against all international law and conventions. They breach the UN Charter, as well as international human rights agreements. Yet our Government has made Australia one of very few countries in the world offering enthusiastic support for an attack. If the US supports a policy of pre-emptive strike, the door will be opened for other countries to launch unprovoked attacks against other states. This has a destabilising effect on an already fragile international community. This would greatly undermine Australia's security. In a world where an unknown number of countries have nuclear weapons, the consequences could be too terrible to imagine. No peace We are extremely concerned that any attack on Iraq would have a range of unpredictable and dangerous consequences in the Middle East and worldwide. Already, the first casualty of these escalating threats is immediate efforts for peace in Iraq and the region. Neither President Bush nor the Australian Government have a plan for how an attack on Iraq will lead to peace. Iraq has already suffered under inhumane sanctions for nearly a decade. Further military attacks would make a recovery to prosperity and democracy even more difficult. An illegal military attack, leading to the deaths of hundreds of thousands of innocent people, is an unacceptable response to dictatorship. Two wrongs do not make a right. We support democracy and peace in Iraq and the region. We call for the countries of the United Nations to show commitment to defending and supporting the Iraqi people. Say no to war on Iraq As concerned Australians, we say to the Australian Government: * No to war on Iraq * No to pre-emptive strikes by any country * Yes to democracy in Iraq * Yes to the United Nations as the means of preventing war . -- -- Leftlink - Australia's Broad Left Mailing List mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Archived at http://www.cat.org.au/lists/leftlink/ Sponsored by Melbourne's New International Bookshop Sub: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]?Body=subscribe%20leftlink Unsub: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]?Body=unsubscribe%20leftlink