Penny Wong opposes Democratic Oversight
Has Australia’s Foreign Minister, who advocates international law and human rights, surrendered to the hawks in Canberra? Senator Penny Wong told Parliament yesterday that the way…
17 years and counting
In January this year Dr Alison Broinowski, Vice President of Australians for War Powers Reform wrote the article Why are Australian forces still in Iraq? Broinowski said: “War is clearly…
Why are Australian forces still in Iraq?
By Dr Alison Broinowski Immediately after the US drone assassination of Iran’s visiting senior general, Qassem Soleimani, the Iraqi Parliament voted to expel all foreign forces. This includes…
Parliament split on going to war: Remember 2003?
As calls increase for reform of the flawed process by which Australian troops can be sent to war, and in particular for parliamentary debate and vote…
ANZUS minus NZ, again?
Tony Abbott’s visit to New Zealand on 26 February was carefully coordinated with John Key’s announcement of a Kiwi military deployment to Iraq. At 143 ‘combat-trainers’…
STATEMENT on the death of Rt. Hon. Malcolm Fraser AC CH
Death of Rt. Hon. Malcolm Fraser AC CH On this 12th anniversary of the invasion of Iraq, Campaign for an Iraq War Inquiry/Australians for War Powers…
Describing ISIL as a “Death Cult” is a ploy to dumb us down.
Prime Minister Abbott’s constant reference to ISIL as a “Death Cult” is a gross over-simplification of a complex conflict in the Arab world. It is intended…
Creepy Mission
So to no-one’s surprise, the Prime Minister says we are now in the ‘next phase’ of the fight against whatever it’s called. ISIS, ISIL, IS, Daesh,…
Media release: No Clear Mission – No SOFA?
MEDIA RELEASE WEDNESDAY 4 MARCH, 2015 No clear mission - no SOFA? Following Prime Minister Abbott’s announcement of additional troops for Iraq, Australians for War Powers…
The importance of monitoring civilian losses
In late 2002, US journalist Helen Thomas strongly opposed the impending invasion of Iraq. Unlike many of her colleagues, whom she regarded as having a groupthink…