Editorial - In March free expression was the victim

By AWPR President, Dr Alison Broinowski AM

On the Ides of March, the British Supreme Court refused WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange permission to appeal against a decision to extradite him to the US to face charges of espionage. WikiLeaks had published American documents given to him in 2010 which embarrassed Washington. Australia said nothing to support him.

In March, two British women jailed in Iran for more than five years were released and repatriated, after the UK government paid $709 million it had owed to Iran since the time of the Iranian revolution. Australia has no such debt to Britain, but apart from Anthony Albanese saying ‘enough is enough’ for Assange, Australia did nothing to negotiate his release.
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With very little publicity the Federal Senate began an inquiry last August into Australia’s involvement in the war in Afghanistan. Scores of individuals and NGOs have made submissions, including Hugh Poate. Mr Poate lost his son Robert in the conflict and has since written a book about the incident in which his son and two other Australian soldiers were killed, and leadership in the Australian army.  The following article is a brief summary of the submission No 57 by Hugh Poate to the Senate Inquiry.

On 11 September 2001 (later referred to as 9/11) a cell of Al Qaeda terrorists carried out four coordinated suicide attacks in the US using hijacked passenger jet aircraft. The most notable attack was two aircraft that were deliberately crashed into the twin towers of the World Trade Centre in New York City. Approximately 3,000 citizens were killed, including 11 Australians.
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Senate Inquiry rejects war powers reform bill

More Independent Candidates support War Powers Reform

RIP Madeleine Albright and Her Awful, Awful Career
Albright’s arrogance was similar to that of George W. Bush and company. In 1998 she expounded on America’s right to bomb Iraq, proclaiming, “If we have to use force, it is because we are America; we are the indispensable nation. We stand tall and we see further than other countries into the future.” 
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Dozens of children killed, maimed in Yemen in two months: UNICEF
Children are the “first and most to suffer”, UNICEF said, adding that at least 10,000 minors have been killed or injured since 2015, when the Saudi-led military alliance launched air raids in the Middle East’s poorest country.
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'We Do Not Need a Massive Increase': Sanders Criticizes Biden's $813 Billion Military Budget.  
The United States already spends more on national security than "the next 11 countries combined. Biden's military spending request for Fiscal Year 2023 represents a $31 billion increase over the current level of $782 billion, which is already unprecedented.
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How Australia goes to war
As the Ukraine war shows us, conflict can be sparked all too easily. As the risk of a war provoked with China rises, this is the time to reform the war powers, and to do much more. Only by urgent changes to our foreign and defence polices can Australia hope to repair the nation’s standing in the world.
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The rot began with John Howard
Not one major item of defence expenditure purchased over the past twenty years is either fit for purpose or appropriate to Australia’s defence needs. Partly this is due to lack of proper process, lack of scrutiny and an inability to decide strategic imperatives. AUKUS is a smoke screen, along with the non-existent submarine marine deal, for a greater US defence presence in Australia, particularly the north from where they aim to confront the Chinese.
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‘Difficult months ahead’ in Ukraine, as deaths rise, along with global shortages: UN
More than 10 million people – including more than half of Ukraine’s children – have fled their homes. That includes some 6.5 million who are internally displaced within the country, according to figures from the International Organization for Migration (IOM)
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AWPR Veteran Initiative

AWPR’s campaign No War Without Parliament is seeking the voices of some of those Australians most heavily affected by decisions for overseas wars – ADF veterans and their families.

Many hundreds of Australian families are today living with the terrible grief of having lost a loved one as a result of military service in Australia’s recent wars. Many more are living with war’s emotional and physical traumas.

We are seeking the signatures of ADF veterans and family members for an appeal to all federal parliamentarians, urging their reform of the current dangerous and undemocratic war powers.

To date we have almost 200 signatures but we are keen to hear from more people.

Please circulate our Veteran Initiative as widely as you can, especially to veterans and their families whom you know.

Support reform today!

Become an AWPR Member and help us realise our vision of war powers reform. Read More    

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Join us as we build a movement to change the way we go to war in Australia.