Veteran Group disgusted by patronising rhetoric about soldiers’ deaths
The Australian-based veterans group Stand Fast today rejected recent statements made by Defence Minister John Faulkner regarding the recent tragic deaths in Afghanistan of Australian soldiers.
Stand Fast spokesperson Hamish Chitts said the group, comprised of veterans and former military personnel who oppose the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, regards the rhetorical remarks of Faulkner and others as a vile attempt to turn public opinion to support the war in Afghanistan.
“This war is primarily about having easier access to the oilfields in Turkmenistan to the North of Afghanistan, including a possible pipeline from these oilfields through Western Afghanistan to lucrative markets in Pakistan and India. It is about strategic real estate for the US military in a resource rich part of the world. Soldiers are sacrificing their lives so that others can earn a profit from it,” he said.
“To bury this war under the cloak of democracy and a war on terror is ridiculous. As veterans and ex-service personnel, we reject this attempt to say that anyone in Afghanistan has died for Australia’s security or international stability. We think Faulkner is looking after the interests of big business and dressing it up to look like the people of Afghanistan have the capability and desire to invade Sydney,” Mr Chitts said.
The veteran’s comments came after John Faulkner was quoted as saying; “While our mission in Afghanistan is difficult, it is vital for international stability and for the security of Australia.”
“Stand Fast would like to ask Mr Faulkner and Mr Rudd how is international stability and security achieved supporting US funded Afghan Government departments whose sole job is to offer bribes and government positions to the worst terrorist leaders of the Taliban and Hezb-i-Islami? ”
“In this Faulkner and Rudd security, the very terrorist we were supposed to be afraid of is now offered rewards while between 8,768 to 28,360 innocent peasant farmers and their families have been slaughtered,” Mr Chitts said.
Stand Fast does not support the politics and religious fundamentalism of the Taliban. Initially the Taliban was easily defeated because they didn’t have the support of most Afghans.
Now their ranks are swelling, not by people who have suddenly been won over to the Taliban’s view of the world but by people who oppose rigged elections and the puppet regime of thugs and opium barons whose rule our troops help enforce.
“These Members of Parliament, both Labor and Coalition vie with each other to be seen as ‘the diggers friend’. Most have never served in the Defence Force nor left the comforts of their parliamentary offices. ”
“The fact that politicians use these deaths to sell their unpopular and unjustifiable war in Afghanistan is disgusting. As veterans our thoughts are with the families of the dead and all those still in harm’s way in Iraq and Afghanistan. No more blood should be shed for the profiteers, 6 out of 10 Australians oppose the war, bring the troops home now,” Mr Chitts said.
For further information
contact Hamish on 0401 586 923
or email standfast.au@gmail.com
or http://www.stand-fast.webs.com
comrades
this is perilous territory
safer for vets than for the Left
we win no friends by anything that can be interpreted as diminishing the dead
even blaming their deaths on the govt can sound as if the grief of the families is irrelevant.[otherwise we’re playing parliamentry cretinous politics]
But Faulkner needs to be skewered.