Australian PM attacks decision to join war in Iraq

[IsItJustMe]

Source: By ROD McGUIRK, Associated Press Writer

CANBERRA, Australia - Prime Minister Kevin Rudd accused his predecessor of abusing intelligence information to justify entering the Iraq war, saying Monday that the Australian people were misled.

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In remarks to parliament on the withdrawal of troops from Iraq, which began Sunday, Rudd said the nation must learn from the errors of former Prime Minister John Howard, who sent 2,000 troops to support U.S. and British forces in the 2003 invasion.

"We must learn from Australia's experience in the lead-up to going to war with Iraq and not repeat the same mistakes in the future," Rudd said.

He criticized Howard's government for going to war without accurate information or a full assessment of the consequences.

"Of most concern to this government was the manner in which the decision to go to war was made: the abuse of intelligence information, a failure to disclose to the Australian people the qualified nature of that intelligence," Rudd said.

Before the invasion, Howard argued that Saddam Hussein had to be toppled to prevent the spread of weapons of mass destruction and terrorism. The weapons were not discovered and no definite links were established between Saddam and al-Qaida or other terror networks.

Rudd said Howard wrongly believed that Australia's close alliance with the United States left him with no choice but to join the campaign in Iraq.

"This government does not believe that our alliance with the United States mandates automatic compliance with every element of the United States' foreign policy," Rudd told Parliament.

White House press secretary Dana Perino said she had not reviewed Rudd's comments, but said the U.S. invasion was based on intelligence that the entire world had.

"We acted based on a threat that was presented to us," Perino said at the White House. "Since then, we have learned that there was not WMD (weapons of mass destruction) in Iraq."

She said the U.S. has since taken steps to strengthen the accuracy of intelligence.




Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080602/ap_on_re_au_an/australia_iraq

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Seems like everyone is finding out the truth and jumping the ship now.

[ingac70]

1. Everyone knew the truth.

Everyone is just now growing themselves some balls.

[nomorenomore08]

2. Exactly! So the question is, why couldn't they have said so 5 years ago?

Did they think the risk to their careers (or even their lives) was too great?

[ingac70]

3. I know...

that for politicians here in the US it was about careers. I can only speculate as to why other nations wanted to hitch their wagons to an idiot.

[LynnTheDem]

5. They did. The senate even censured Howie the Fuck.

One protest alone was over 500,000 strong. You bet they spoke out. The entire world spoke out, largest demonstrations in human history.

But one wouldn't know this if one only watched/read US "media".

[Matilda]

6. Opposition Leader at the time, Simon Crean, had this to say to Howard:

Text of address by Simon Crean to parliament on Iraq
February 5 2003:

"Two weeks ago, prime minister, you committed Australia's young men and women to a war not yet declared, knowing all along that you couldn't pull them out.

You committed them without the mandate of the Australian people, the Australian parliament or the United Nations.

You committed them solely on the say so of George W Bush.

You committed them to a command structure you can't withdraw from if George Bush decides to go it alone and pursue a military solution regardless of the UN.

You have done all of this but you haven't told the Australian people."

.....


"You say that the US alliance requires you to respond to all requests from the US.

It does not.

The very first clause of the ANZUS treaty makes it clear that all alliance decisions must be in conformity with the United Nations.

This clause commits all presidents and prime ministers, but you haven't fulfilled it."

http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2003/02/04/1044318605090.html


The Labor Party, the Australian Democrats and The Greens all made their opposition to the invasion
of Iraq very clear, inside and outside the Parliament. Many politicians, especially those from the
Greens, took part in peace marches. Howard chose to ignore the will of the people and the parliament
and none of his own party had the guts to stand up to him and say no. And of course, he was backed
all the way by the shills of the MSM. Only the public broadcaster, the ABC, had the integrity to
put other points of view, for which they were attacked by the Communications Minister in parliament,
and penalised by having their funding severely cut in successive budgets.

[LynnTheDem]

4. The Australian people were NOT misled; they were, as with the true intell,

IGNORED.

"...in the lead up to the second Iraq war, a majority of Australians opposed Australian force involvement without UN endorsement. In February 2003, more than 500,000 people across Australia demonstrated against the war. Asked in a mid-December 2006 poll, 73 percent of Australians said the Iraq war was not worth fighting; 71 percent said that Australia’s involvement in the war had made a terrorist attack on Australia more likely."
http://www.harvardir.org/articles/1717/

"An AC Neilsen opinion poll published last weekend in the Sydney Morning Herald and the Age reported that 62 percent of the population opposed any involvement in a war on Iraq unless sanctioned by the United Nations, while 30 percent were against a war under any circumstances.
http://www.wsws.org/articles/2003/jan2003/aust-j22.shtml

Government dismisses Iraq poll findings
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,20867,20512633-1702,00.html

Ignoring the vast majority of one's own citizens in order to attack and slaughter other nations' kids is apparently a righteous and democracy-spreading thing to do, according to the bUsh regime & cabal.