DEFENCE AND ULTIMATELY DEFENCES
Saturday, July 7th, 2007Defence Minister Brendan Nelson announced (5 July 2007) that oil was a factor in Australia’s contribution to the unpopular Iraq war, as “energy security” and stability in the Middle East would be crucial to the nation’s future.
Reasons specified for our continued involvement were that our involvement was for both our defence and the economy, and further, it was important to support the “prestige” of the US and the UK. The validity of all these points is of course very debatable.
Two things stand out. Firstly, why are we not surprised? Some 5 years after 911, and given the ensuing carnage in Iraq, not many people now believe that the original reasons for going into the war were true. Even of greater concern is that an increasing number of people really believe that the Government knew, at the time of giving those reasons, that the reasons were absolutely false. In other words the Government knowingly lied to us about the circumstances of going to war and steadfastly held to the story until yesterday.
This calls into question the credibility of the whole Government and particularly any of its dealings regarding foreign affairs. After this it will be difficult to trust the Howard Government on any matter under any circumstances.
The second notable aspect of this whole sorry affair is the initial response of the Labor Opposition. For Kevin Rudd to simply accuse the Prime Minister, John Howard of “making it up as he goes along” amounts to a flogging with a feather. Admittedly it’s early days yet but if Rudd’s initial reaction is typical of what is to come on this matter, then the Australian voters’ choice at the next election can not be for the incumbent Coalition parties or the Labor Opposition.
When the true significance of what both the Government and the Opposition have done becomes apparent to the general public the judgement against them could be severe and it will be interesting to see what defence they can put up… not for the country, but for themselves.
At the forthcoming federal election should the public elect to vote for any of the major parties then they have a clear and unequivocal understanding of what they can expect. After all, forewarned is forearmed.
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