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Wilkie: 'Troops out of Iraq!'
MELBOURNE — On April 22, 400 people crammed into the Victorian Trades Hall Council chambers to hear former intelligence officer Andrew Wilkie speak. The forum was organised by the Humanist Society and the Victorian Peace Network.
Wilkie gave a very thorough expose of the fabrications created by the Howard government in its attempt to justify support for the US invasion of Iraq. He also strongly condemned the role of the mass media in this mass deception.
Wilkie highlighted that it is the government which creates policy and hence is ultimately responsible for the actions and behaviour of the intelligence services. He suggested that their politicisation has undermined general confidence in Australia's security services, and argued that the Iraq war has increased the terrorist threat worldwide.
Wilkie reiterated his support for the withdrawal of troops "as soon as practically possible, which could be achieved within a couple of weeks". He expressed his opposition to the presence of any foreign troops in Iraq and raised the issue of self-determination for the Iraqi people. Wilkie encouraged the anti-war movement to continue to use any opportunity available to protest the illegal and criminal occupation of Iraq.
Margarita Windisch
Greens forum on Iraq
SYDNEY — Eighty people attended an April 21 Greens-sponsored forum on the US-led invasion and occupation of Iraq. The forum was addressed by Greens Senator Kerry Nettle and former Office of National Assessments intelligence analyst Andrew Wilkie.
"The modern history of Iraq is a history of failed occupations", Nettle told the crowd. She condemned the "illegal invasion and ongoing occupation" of Iraq.
"Support for the occupation is crumbling with more and more nations withdrawing." Nettle called for the immediate withdrawal of Australian troops and an end to political support for the US-led occupation.
She urged the audience to take the opportunity to "kick [Coalition PM John] Howard out and keep [ALP federal leader Mark] Latham to his promise to withdraw the troops" by Christmas.
"The media does not pay enough attention to Iraqi deaths", said Wilkie. "Its only focus is the US casualties. All the talk about intelligence is misplaced. The government is simply shifting the blame."
Both speakers encouraged people to protest against the war on May 1.
Brianna Pike
From Green Left Weekly, April 29, 2004.
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