howard's end

Sorry to lift the title of this post from EM Forster's novel but I couldn't resist...

In sending our forces off to the Gulf today, John Howard has shown his contempt for the Australian people. He has deployed our forces against the will of the public, against all the major opposition parties, against the RSL and against the word of all major religious leaders. Not to mention against the will of most countries of the world.

On radio this afternoon I heard him say that the deployment was to allow our troops to acclimatise and train so that they could be ready if needed. Howard must think that we are children to believe this subterfuge of engagement by stealth. If this were true, why is it that only the UK who wants to accompany the US in its illegal (non-UN sanctioned) invasion of Iraq has deployed its troops along with the US? Certainly we don't see French or German troops flying off to the Gulf.

Howard is supporting an illegal invasion of a sovereign country. His unwillingness to wait for an appropriate UN decision on the fate of Iraq must be viewed with the greatest of suspicion. There has been no parliamentary debate. All we hear form Howard are the feeble echoes of the nonsense emanating from Bush and Blair as Howard exposes this country and our sons and daughters to increased risk

The time has come to make our protests loud and clear to the Howard Government and if there is no adequate response, throw the blaggard out.