The two articles below show the hypocrisy of the diplomacy of the Australian, British and US governments in the Middle East. While calling for Israeli restraint both governments are directly involved in assisting Israel bombard Lebanon and Gaza by providing training, bombs, and logistical support to the Israeli Defence Forces.
The articles below testify to the complicity of these governments in Israeli war crimes.
Times Online July 27, 2006
US says Israel bomb flights did not break British rules
The United States has denied it contravened British air transport procedures by allowing two cargo aircraft loaded with bunker-busting bombs bound for Israel to stop over in Scotland.
The US Defence Department said Washington had double-checked its records of all flights since the reports emerged and found it has not broken any regulations in Britain or anywhere else.
British defence sources have alleged that the Airbus jets stopped to refuel at Glasgow’s Prestwick airport last weekend during a flight to transport GBU28 laser-guided bombs to Israel.
The matter is now being investigated by Britain’s Civil Aviation Authority.
The controversy comes amid a backdrop of mounting criticism in Britain over Tony Blair’s support for President Bush in refusing to call for an immediate ceasefire in Lebanon.
British officials are understood to be angry about the stop-overs and Margaret Beckett, the Foreign Secretary, is reported to have approached Condoleezza Rice, the US Secretary of State, to speak to her personally about the matter at yesterday’s ministerial conference in Rome.
Mrs Beckett said yesterday she was “not happy” about Washington failing to comply with procedures for such flights. “We have already let the United States know that this is an issue that appears to be seriously at fault, and we will be making a formal protest if it appears that that is what has happened,” she said. “It appears that insofar as there are procedures for handling that kind of hazardous cargo, irrespective of what they are, it does appear that they were not followed.” The Foreign Office has said it is still investigating the matter.
A US Defence Department spokesman, Joe Carpenter, said: “It’s our policy that US military flights and those contracted on our behalf comply with existing bilateral agreements. “There have been no recent deviations from those procedures.”
ABC Online 27 July 2006
US Air Force begins bombing missions in NT The United States Air Force has given the first details of new long range missions that will see it dropping bombs on the Northern Territory in up to six separate exercises a year. The first exercise started on Tuesday, with two stealth aircraft flying non-stop return trips to Guam and releasing two concrete-filled bomb casings at the Delamere range near Katherine. Only one of the B-2 bombers has actually touched down in Australia, the others are being refuelled in the air. US Air Force Colonel Bob Wheeler says the stealth bombers can carry nuclear weapons, but that will not happen during the training exercises. “No. That will never be done. The weapons that we will be using here are the ones that are approved for your ranges,” he said. “And those do not include anything with depl- (sic) uranium or any kind of replicas or regular nuclear weapons. There will be nothing in that area.”