Alison Dellit
Responses to the defeat of a pro-war government in the March 15 Spanish election, and the subsequent threat to pull Spanish troops out of Iraq, have varied between Australia's opposition parties. While the ALP has fudged the issue, the Greens and the Socialist Alliance have called for Australian troops to be brought back.
According to the Socialist Alliance, Australians should take inspiration from the Spanish voters who rallied behind the slogan of "troops out of Iraq" and toppled a warmongering government.
Among other groups, the alliance supported protests on March 20 to end the occupation of Iraq, and will be standing candidates in the federal election this year.
"We want John Howard to feel the pain in Spain", Socialist Alliance candidate for Reid, Lisa Macdonald, explained to Green Left Weekly.
"Like the Liberals here, the Spanish conservative government backed a war based on lies against the will of its people and contributed troops to an occupying army. The price has been paid by the victims of the Madrid train bombings.
Macdonald was careful to explain that the alliance was horrified by the bombing that preceded the election: "Killing innocent commuters — 90% of whom opposed the war in Iraq — cannot be condoned."
But, according to Macdonald, the "ultimate responsibility" for those deaths lies with the governments that were part of the "coalition of the killing, who invaded Iraq for oil and regional domination".
Greens Senator Bob Brown believes that the ruling Popular Party was kicked out in Spain because it "manipulated a tragedy for political ends".
Brown has also called for Australian troops to be returned immediately, arguing that Australian troops were "needed at home". "We have to take into our calculations that we have had an awesome tragedy in Bali", he said.
The Socialist Alliance is also calling for the troops to be withdrawn, and built support for the March 20 actions to that end.
Labor leader Mark Latham, however, has been attempting to simultaneously identify with the hugely popular position of the incoming Spanish government, and maintain support for the occupation, which he calls a "reconstruction process".
In a March 17 speech at the Campbelltown RSL club, he "explained": "Our position has always been to say we want our troops back in Australia as soon as that's appropriate, as soon as it's possible given Australia's international responsibilities for the reconstruction of Iraq.
"We didn't support the war in Iraq but once it had happened Australia had responsibilities as an occupying power to help with the reconstruction of that country and it's been appropriate to have Australian contributions, to have Australian troops, about 300 involved in the reconstruction process. But as soon as that's complete and as soon as we can get our troops back in this country that's what we want.
"Quite frankly we need them here. We need to maximise the effort in Australia to protect our entire infrastructure and to make sure the Australian people are as safe and secure as possible."
David Glanz, who is contesting the Victorian seat of Wills for the Socialist Alliance, has called on Latham to support wthdrawing troops immediately, pointing out that the occupation is not a reconstruction process, but a grab for US control of Iraqi resources.
Louise Walker, a Socialist Alliance national co-convenor, urged support for the global day of action on March 20.
"By joining rallies being held in cities around Australia, you can show that the Howard government does not speak in your name.", she said.
From Green Left Weekly, March 24, 2004.
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