"Break the military alliance with the US"

July 14, 2004

"Pressure from Washington has pushed the ALP to swear its commitment to the US-Australia military alliance. But this alliance locks us into a future of more war and terror," said Mr Raul Bassi today.

"Mark Latham’s announcement that Kim 'Bomber' Beazley will take the shadow defence portfolio shows that Labor wants to appease the White House hawks who were nervous about the ALP’s commitment to the Iraq war and the 'war on terror'."

Mr Bassi, the Socialist Alliance candidate for the seat of Blaxland in Sydney’s west, warned Mark Latham not to retreat on his promise to bring the troops home from Iraq. He said Mr Latham’s announcement that a future Labor government would not remove all the troops in the Gulf had already been flagged by Kevin Rudd following his return from Washington recently.

"The ALP is ignoring the more than 50% of Australians who want all the troops brought home", said Mr Bassi.

"Surely the ALP’s promise of $75 million for customs officers and 30 non-combat soldiers guarding a UN mission could be better spent on untied grants for more than the one cancer hospital which has been identified?"

Mr Bassi continued: "The UN has a bad track record in Iraq; it supervised the unjust economic embargo in which ordinary Iraqis, especially children, suffered terribly, and since the war it has OKed the US-led occupation in three separate resolutions.

"By far the majority of Australians opposed the war – and they want to see an Iraq free from war and violence. Labor isn’t helping this process by buckling to US pressure and maintaining a troop presence in the Arab world.

"The troops should be bought home immediately, and we should break the US alliance which is primarily a war alliance."

Mr Bassi is available on 0403 037 376.

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