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Yesterday afternoon Sydney Stop The War Coalition activist Marlene Obeid was dragged out of the parliamentary public gallery as Australia's Prime Minister Julia Gillard announced that Australian troops would be "engaged in Afghanistan at least for the rest of this decade". "They are war criminals", said Obeid as she was dragged off by Parliament House security guards. She is right. PM Gillard's speech: http://www.lowyinterpreter.org/file.axd?file=2010%2f10%2f101009+pm+statement+afghanistan.doc The reasons she gave to keeping the troops there for at least the rest of the decade was to prevent Afghanisatn from becoming a "safe haven" for terrorists and to support the US, Australia's chief military ally. Liberal-National opposition leader Tony Abbott supported the government line, while objecting to Australian Spercial Forces being tried in a military court for killing Afghan civilians, including women and children, and then attempting to cover it up. Tony Abbott's speech: http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/defence/tony-abbotts-speech-to-parliament-on-australias-deployment-to-afghanistan/story-e6frg8yo-1225940811388 The bi-partisan pro-war line was re-affirmed Today the sole Green MP in the House of Representatives gave his speech. "The Greens believe it is now time to bring our troops safely home", he said. "The Greens believe the Australian people and our defence forces should not be asked to continue this war for another decade. "And The Greens believe many people in Australia agree with us, with recent polls showing most Australians want our defence forces personnel brought safely home. "If we really want to ensure Afghanistan never again becomes a haven for terrorists, we must encourage education and help strengthen the institutions of civil society. "We must foster democracy from below, not imagine we can impose it from above down the barrel of a gun. "No matter how much the contemporary trend might be to dress it up in the garb of human rights, an invasion is an invasion, a war is a war. "It is a mistake we have made before but not yet learned from. "We owe it to our troops, the Australian people and the people of Afghanistan to adopt a different path." Adam Bandt's speech in full can be read here: http://adam-bandt.greensmps.org.au/content/speech/afghanistan-debate-october-20-2010 ________________________________________________ Send list submissions to: Marxism@lists.econ.utah.edu Set your options at: http://lists.econ.utah.edu/mailman/options/marxism/archive%40mail-archive.com
