The following article was published in "The Guardian", newspaper
of the Communist Party of Australia in its issue of Wednesday,
June26th, 2002. Contact address: 65 Campbell Street, Surry Hills.
Sydney. 2010 Australia. Phone: (612) 9212 6855 Fax: (612) 9281 5795.
CPA Central Committee: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
"The Guardian": <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Webpage: http://www.cpa.org.au>
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"Pre-emptive strike" means endless war
The policy of "pre-emptive strike" adopted by the US leadership is the next
step in US plans for world domination. It is a policy of aggression and
tears to shreds the Charter of the United Nations which the US and Australia
are pledged to uphold.
The Charter declares that: "All Members shall settle their international
disputes by peaceful means in such a manner that international peace and
security, and justice, are not endangered." (Article 2.3)
"All members shall refrain in their international relations from the threat
or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence
of any state..." (Article 2.4)
The Australian Government is the first and, so far, only Government in the
world, to have endorsed the US policy of aggression. Defence Minister Robert
Hill declared that "we are no longer waiting for attacks" and that the US
will not allow a lack of support to "constrain" its options.
Australia has for some time been tied to the US war chariot by the ANZUS
alliance and military facilities and bases in Australia. The spy base at
Pine Gap is in continuous operation and is a key element in US war
preparations. It is essential to US nuclear war fighting strategy.
In January of this year the Bush Government presented its Nuclear Posture
Review which includes plans to use nuclear weapons against China, Iraq,
Russia, North Korea, Iran, Libya and Syria. In doing so George W Bush has
revived the spectre of nuclear annihilation.
The US Government is also preparing to resume nuclear testing at Nevada,
thereby abandoning a ten-year-old moratorium on nuclear tests.
At the same time, the US Space Command says its mission is "dominating the
space dimension ... to protect US interests and investments".
Senator Hill's endorsement of US plans not only indicate disregard of the
United Nation's Charter and the UN Security Council but disregard of the
opinions and security of many other countries.
A great deal of media attention has been directed against Iraq, preparing
public opinion for an attack on that country. But, there is not a shred of
evidence that Iraq was in any way involved in the attack on the World Trade
Centre.
Nor is there any evidence that it has or is preparing weapons of mass
destruction. UN weapons inspectors have certified that Iraqi weapon
stockpiles were effectively destroyed following the Gulf War. Not that such
evidence would constitute a justification for launching another war on Iraq.
But Iraq does occupy a strategic location and has immense publicly owned oil
reserves. The occupation of Iraq would be of assistance if the US is to go
further in any future assault against Iran, a country that has also been put
on the US "axis of evil" list.
The most recent Australian Government White Paper on Defence lists in order
of priority the defence of Australia and then issues that may arise in the
Asian-Pacific region. Endorsement of "pre-emptive strike" signals an
abandonment of that policy commitment. The new policy declares that
Australian troops will chase targets around the globe together with US
military forces.
Will Australian forces be now sent to the Philippines or engage in "first
strike" attacks on Indonesia or Malaysia or Korea or Libya or, eventually,
China? One's mind boggles at this endless war scenario that is the logical
result of US policies.
Australia is not a major international power, no matter how much Howard
struts the Washington platform and grovels at the feet of US leaders.
Irrespective of the huge sums being spent on building up the military forces
Australia will remain only a smaller force while pretending to be a world
power.
The Government's policies are being justified by acceptance of the lie that
the hands of US leaders are clean in connection with the terrorist attack on
the World Trade Centre. More and more US citizens are questioning the
explanations given by US Government leaders and it is now clear beyond doubt
that Bush and other Government leaders knew of the impending terrorist
attack and did nothing to prevent it.
By hyping up the war fervour and ever new allegations of threats of
terrorist acts -- the anthrax scare, the supposed threat to blow up the
Brooklyn Bridge in New York, and the most recent allegations that a US
citizen was planning to make and explode a "dirty bomb" -- are part of a
continuing effort to divert attention from the truth.
There is no evidence to link these "threats" with Iraq or any other country
but they are used, and will be used again and again, to justify US policies
and the Australian Government's support of them.
Many Australian people see the situation differently. A day after the
announcement of the Australian Government's support of the US line, not a
single letter writer to the Sydney Morning Herald, supported the Government.
One correspondent wrote: "As usual the Howard/Hill duo is busy kowtowing to
the United States".
"Is it only terrorism when 'they' do it but a pre-emptive strike when 'we'
do it?", questioned another.
A third wrote: "Senator Hill's remarks make me despair of my Government and
question its right to represent me. We are not at war with Iraq. Iraq did
not attack the US on September 11. To link a proposed US attack on Iraq with
that terrorist attack is wrong. That act was a crime. Our crime would be a
pre-emptive attack on Iraq."
Green's leader, Senator Bob Brown, in a media release, said the Howard
Government is "replacing independent foreign policy with a cringe mentality"
and that "this policy opens the way to a large number of Australians being
sent to Iraq, Iran or North Korea in the coming months or years if President
Bush invades in a pre-emptive strike."
The June Council meeting of the NSW/ACT Independent Education Union called
on the Howard Government to "pressure the US Government to abandon its
nuclear first strike policies and to fulfil the 'unequivocal undertaking' it
made in 2000 'to accomplish the total elimination' of its nuclear arsenals.
It called on the Government to "end its support for the American
Government's aggressive and destabilising nuclear policies".
In a comment to The Guardian, Peter Symon CPA General Secretary, said that:
"'pre-emptive strike' is pure and simple aggression against independent
countries. The Australian Government has become a party to tearing up
international law and will be judged accordingly as time goes on.
"The Government is implementing the interests of the big corporations and
their efforts to globalise the economies of all countries under their
control.
"'Pre-emptive strike' is a very shortsighted policy that is not in
Australia's interests now or in the future.
"We insist that the Australian Government uphold United Nation's procedures
and the UN Charter. Any other course spells anarchy in international
relations and endless conflict and wars. That may be good for the arms
manufacturers but it is a recipe for disaster for millions of people
including the Australian people.
"Australia will never be safe from these criminal military adventures until
we break free from the ANZUS alliance", concluded Peter Symon.
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