[southnews] Aussie PM 'arrogant' in dismissing petition
Dave Muller
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OPPOSITION foreign affairs spokesman Kevin Rudd today defended the
integrity of a group of former military chiefs and diplomats who have
criticised the Federal Government's decision to go to war in Iraq.
PM 'arrogant' in dismissing petition
AAP 09aug04
OPPOSITION foreign affairs spokesman Kevin Rudd today defended the
integrity of a group of former military chiefs and diplomats who have
criticised the Federal Government's decision to go to war in Iraq.
Forty-three former defence chiefs and diplomats signed a statement which
called for more honesty in government, and said Australia joined the war
on Iraq on the basis of false assumptions and deceptions.
"What we've had today from Prime Minister John Howard and (Foreign
Minister) Alexander Downer is wall-to-wall arrogance in dismissing these
charges from 43 of Australia's most senior diplomatic and military
leaders," Mr Rudd said.
"This is an extraordinary response of arrogance from the Howard Government.
"Frankly, when you've got 43 individuals like this comprised of four
former heads of Foreign Affairs, two former Defence chiefs, a former
head of the Defence Department and three former ambassadors to Iraq and
a whole host of others, this is an unprecedented attack on the
government of the day concerning its conduct of this government's
foreign policy."
Mr Rudd said there were two charges made against the Government through
the statement.
"The first is that the Howard Government deceived the Australian people
when it invaded Iraq," he said.
"The second is that Australia is not safer from terrorism as a result of
the Iraq war but Australia finds itself more exposed as a terrorist
target because of the Iraq war.
"The Government has a case to answer today and it can't simply dismiss
this case by trying to write off, arrogantly, this group of senior
Australian military and political leaders as some sort of bunch of old
fogies.
________________________________
Sydney Morning Herald
PM stung by roaring 40 band of top brass and diplomats
By Matt Wade and Tony Stephens
August 9, 2004
John Howard was not impressed. In Samoa for the Pacific Islands forum,
he was confronted with an extraordinary repudiation of his foreign
policy, especially the Iraq war, by 43 of Australia's former military
chiefs, department heads and senior diplomats.
A tight-jawed Prime Minister adopted a well-worn defence yesterday: "The
argument that we took the country to war based on a lie is itself a
misrepresentation and I continue to reject it."
The statement from the "concerned group" of distinguished citizens
demands truth in government, from whichever party wins power in the
coming election. But it also accuses the Howard Government of deceiving
the people over the war in Iraq. "It is wrong and dangerous for our
elected representatives to mislead the Australian people," it says. "If
we cannot trust the word of our government, Australia cannot expect it
to be trusted by others. Without that trust, the democratic structure of
our society will be undermined and with it our standing and influence in
the world."
The military brass signing up to the statement include the former
defence chiefs General Peter Gration and Admiral Alan Beaumont, along
with the former navy heads Admiral Mike Hudson and Vice-Admiral Sir
Richard Peek.
Top diplomats included Richard Woolcott, a former ambassador to the
United Nations; Alan Renouf, the former head of the Department of
Foreign Affairs and ambassador to the US and France; Peter Lloyd, former
ambassador to Iraq; and Cavan Hogue, the former representative on the UN
Security Council.
The instigator was John Menadue, former head of the Prime Minister's
Department - for the Whitlam and Fraser governments. It is believed to
be the first time such a group has come together to stage an attack on a
government. Many have avoided public attention until now.
General Gration said the concern went back beyond Iraq - to Tampa and
the children overboard affair. He said serving defence force officers
shared the concerns expressed in the statement.
"I can tell you that a number of serving offices do share these concerns
and serving diplomats too, I guess. But quite properly in their present
positions, they can't speak out," he said. "Demonstrably, over the last
year or two, truth in government has been less than it should be.
The statement says the international prestige of the US and its
presidency has fallen precipitously over the past two years and
Australia should seek a true partnership with it, rather than
rubber-stamp Washington's policies.
It also claims terrorist activity has increased since the Iraq war and
Australia now has a higher profile as a target.
The Opposition Leader, Mark Latham, seized on the statement, calling it
a damning judgement on the Howard Government. "Truth in government is
long overdue in this country," he said. "Mr Howard has an appalling
record. He can barely lie straight in bed."
General Gration said the statement was not meant to be partisan
political - "that's why we released it well before the election". And Mr
Hogue said: "Many of these people are very conservative. It was not easy
for them to sign. Others said they shared the sentiments but were not
signers and some sympathisers have government consultancies or are
looking for them."
Mr Woolcott, also a former secretary of the Department of Foreign
Affairs and Trade, said: "In a healthy democracy, experienced former
senior representatives are entitled to speak out if they feel the
integrity of the decision-making processes are under threat."
And Mr Menadue also said: "The immediate inspiration for this was Iraq
and terrorism, where the Government has kicked an own goal - the
invasion and occupation of Iraq has greatly added to terrorist attacks.
But the statement is really about the need for truth in public life."
Mr Menadue initiated the statement with Mr Woolcott and Mr Hogue. They
joined Alison Broinowski, former charge d'affaires in Jordan, who was
working on a similar concept.
Some signatories, including General Gration and a former Defence
Department head, Paul Barratt, have criticised the Iraq policy in the
past. But several have not gone public with their concerns before.
A former diplomat, Ron Walker, says in a letter to the Herald: "Most of
us have no ties to either side in politics, just a strong commitment to
Australia."
__________________________________________
******* Statement of 43 elders ********
TIME FOR HONEST, CONSIDERED AND BALANCED FOREIGN AND SECURITY POLICIES:
A STATEMENT BY A CONCERNED GROUP OF FORMER SERVICE CHIEFS AND AUSTRALIAN
DIPLOMATS
Sunday August 8, 2004
We believe that a reelected Howard Government or an elected Latham
Government must give priority to truth in Government. This is
fundamental to effective parliamentary democracy. Australians must be
able to believe they are being told the truth by our leaders, especially
in situations as grave as committing our forces to war.
We are concerned that Australia was committed to join the invasion of
Iraq on the basis of false assumptions and the deception of the
Australian people.
Saddam's dictatorial administration has ended, but removing him was not
the reason given to the Australian people for going to war. The Prime
Minister said in March 2003 that our policy was the disarmament of
Iraq, not the removal of Saddam Hussein. He added a few days before the
invasion that if Saddam got rid of his weapons of mass destruction he
could remain in power.
It is a matter for regret that the action to combat terrorism after 11
September 2001, launched in Afghanistan, and widely supported, was
diverted to the widely opposed invasion of Iraq. The outcome has been
destructive, especially for Iraq. The international system has been
subjected to enormous stress that still continues.
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It is of concern to us that the international prestige of the United
States and its Presidency has fallen precipitously over the last two
years. Because of our Governments unquestioning support for the Bush
Administrations policy, Australia has also been adversely affected.
Terrorist activity, instead of being contained, has increased. Australia
has not become safer by invading and occupying Iraq and now has a higher
profile as a terrorist target.
We do not wish to see Australias alliance with the United States
endangered. We understand that it can never be an alliance of complete
equals because of the disparity in power, but to suggest that an ally is
not free to choose if or when it will go to war is to misread the ANZUS
Treaty. Within that context, Australian governments should seek to
ensure that it is a genuine partnership and not just a rubber stamp for
policies decided in Washington. Australian leaders must produce more
carefully balanced policies and present them in more sophisticated ways.
These should apply to our alliance with the United States, our
engagement with the neighbouring nations of Asia and the South West
Pacific, and our role in multilateral diplomacy, especially at the
United Nations.
Above all, it is wrong and dangerous for our elected representatives to
mislead the Australian people. If we cannot trust the word of our
Government, Australia cannot expect it to be trusted by others. Without
that trust, the democratic structure of our society will be undermined
and with it our standing and influence in the world.
***
Signed by:
Military
Admiral Alan Beaumont AC, former Chief of Defence Force
General Peter Gration AC, former Chief of Defence Force
Admiral Mike Hudson AC, former Chief of the Navy Vice Admiral Sir
Richard Peek, former Chief of the Navy
Air Marshal Ray Funnell AC, former Chief of the Airforce
Air Vice Marshal Brendan OLoughlin AO, former head of Australian
Defence Staff, Washington
Major General Alan Stretton AO, former Director General National
Disaster Organisation
*
Departmental Heads and Diplomatic Representatives
Paul Barratt, AO, former Secretary Dept of Defence and Deputy Secretary
Dept of Foeign Affairs and Trade (DFAT)
Dr John Burton, former Secretary of Dept of External Affairs and High
Commissioner to Ceylon
Dr Stuart Harris AO, former Secretary of DFAT
John Menadue AO, former Secretary of the Prime Ministers Department and
former Ambassador to Japan
Alan Renouf, former Secretary of DFAT, Ambassador to France, Ambassador
to US
Richard Woolcott, AC, former Secretary of DFAT, Ambassador to the United
Nations, Indonesia and The Philippines
Dennis Argall, former Ambassador to China
Robin Ashwin, former Ambassador to Egypt, the Soviet Union and Germany
Jeff Benson, former Ambassador to Denmark and Iceland
Geoff Bentley, former Ambassador to Russia and Consul General in Hong Kong
John Bowan, former Ambassador to Germany
Alison Broinowski, former Charge dAffaires to Jordan
Richard Broinowski, former Ambassador to Mexico, Korea and Vietnam
John Brook, former Ambassador to Vietnam and Algiers
Ross Cottrill, Executive Director Australian Institute of International
Affairs
Peter Curtis, former Ambassador to France, Consul General to New York
and High Commmissioner in India
Rawdon Dalrymple, AO, former Ambassador to the United States, Japan,
Indonesia and Israel
Malcolm Dan, former Ambassador to Argentina and Chile
Stephen Fitzgerald AO, former Ambassador to China
Geoff Forrester, former Deputy Secretary of DFAT
Robert Furlonger, former Director General of the Office of National
Assessments (ONA) and Head of JIO and Ambassador to Indonesia
Ross Garnaut AO, former Ambassador to China
Ian Haig AM, former Ambassador to Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and UAE. Robert
Hamilton, former Ambassador to Mexico, El Salvador and Cuba
Cavan Hogue, former High Commissioner to Malaysia, Ambassador to
Thailand, and United Nations (Security Council)
Roger Holdich, former Director General of Intelligence and Ambassador to
Korea
Gordon Jockel, former Chairman of the National Intelligence Committee
and Ambassador to Thailand and Indonesia
Tony Kevin, former Ambassador to Cambodia and Poland
Peter Lloyd AM, former Ambassador to Iraq
Alf Parsons AO former High Commissioner to United Kingdom, High
Commissioner to Singapore, Malaysia
Ted Pocock AM, former High Commissioner to Pakistan, Ambassador to
France and Morocco, the Soviet Union, Korea and the European Union
Peter Rogers, former Ambassador to Israel Rory Steele, former Ambassador
to Iraq
H. Neil Truscott AM, former Ambassador to Iraq Ron Walker, former
Special Disarmament Adviser, Ambassador to the UN, Geneva, Ambassador to
Austria and Chairman of the Board of Governors IAEA
Garry Woodard, former High Commissioner to Malaysia and Ambassador to China
http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2004/08/09/1092022386212.html?oneclick=true
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