Stop the War Coalition released this statement on August 29.
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Sydney Stop the War Coalition opposes the Australian government’s moves to involve Australian military forces in another US-led war on Iraq.
Spokesperson Pip Hinman said: “The [Tony] Abbott government’s motives are more about trying to shore up support for itself rather than any professed concern about Sunni and Christian communities.
“If, as Abbott said, ‘no human being’ should ignore the ‘slaughter of innocent people’, why didn’t he speak out against the high civilian casualty rate resulting from Israel’s attacks on Palestinians in Gaza?” she asked.
The organisation, the Islamic State in Iraq (ISI), is a product of the illegal Western invasion and occupation of Iraq in 2003.
It is widely acknowledged the Nouri al-Maliki regime, backed by the US, was ultimately responsible for the sectarian isolation and marginalisation of Sunnis.
The ISI found a ready audience in the Iraqi Sunnis to whom the Iraqi government failed to provide services or include.
Belatedly US President Barack Obama now calls on the Iraqi government to include Sunnis and other marginalised groups in Iraq to counter the growing influence of ISI.
Linda Pearson, another spokesperson for the Stop the War Coalition, continued: “Bombing may halt the military advance of ISI, but in reinforcing its anti-Western propaganda it will do nothing to bring about a political settlement in these destabilised territories.
“Inevitably ‘precision’ bombing will cause civilian deaths and destruction as was demonstrated by the horrendous death toll in Gaza.
“We join other peace groups across Australia to demand that Abbott, Foreign Minister Julie Bishop and their ‘security’ advisors stop pushing more war.
“Instead, Australia should provide war reparations and much needed humanitarian aid to the ordinary Sunnis, Shia, Yazidis, Mandeans, Jews, Zoroastrians, Kurds, and other minorities currently under threat from a terror outfit”, said Pearson.
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