Seymour Hersh in his bombshell New Yorker article has revealed that “the administration has stepped up clandestine activities in Iran”. Considering how close the relationship between President Bush and Australian Prime Minister John Howard is and how unstintingly Howard has supported Bush in all of his ventures in both Afghanistan and Iraq by allowing the services of Australia’s elite Special Air Service Regiment (SAS) to be put at the disposal of the US government, one needs to ask: ‘Where are Australia’s SAS troops now?’
The skills of Australia’s special operations forces have in the past been highly praised by the American special forces that have worked closely with them in both Iraq and Afghanistan. It is also common knowledge that Australian SAS troops were involved in collecting intelligence inside Iraq before Howard officially threw Australia’s hand in with the US in its invasion of Iraq in March 2003.[1] In January of 2006 Richard Hill, the then Australian Minister for Defence, sent another contingent of SAS troops to Afghanistan as part of “Australia's broader contribution to the war against terrorism.”[2]
Part of that ‘broader contribution’ would undoubtedly be the Australian SAS’s proven ability to gather intelligence in Iran as it has in Iraq. One wonders when the fascist John Howard is going to tell the people of Australia that Australia will be involved in yet another of Bush’s illegal pre-emptive wars. When will Australia’s compliant media ask the questions, indeed, more to the point, when will Australia’s pathetic government opposition ask the question?
ENDNOTES
[1] Rafael Epstein, ‘Reports of SAS troops in Kuwait’, 13 March 2003. Australian ABC Radio National transcript. Available online: http://abc.net.au/am/content/s805790.htm Accessed 10 April 2006.
[2] ‘Afghan deployment ‘aids anti-terrorism effort’’, 10 January 2006. Australian ABC Newsonline. Available online: http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200601/s1545067.htm Accessed 10 April 2006.
AUSTRALIANS AT WAR
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3 comments:
Damian,
Unfortunately the pm has such contempt for us, he just flat our refuses to answer "he won't discuss operations" for security reasons.
Never mind that his saying yes or no to the answer, is not going to give any advantage to the prospective enemy without further details.
While the people allow politicians to treat them with contempt nothing will change. This is one reason I have so much trouble understanding "conservatives". With them their man can do no wrong.
With "progressives" you often find a healthy criticism regardless of whether left or right are governing.
Indeed, Terrence. Your observation with regards to Howards contempt and failure to share with the Australian people the policies of the Australian government is yet another symptom of Howard's attempt to drag us into his 'New Fascist' ideals!
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