Radio Program: US domination is ending; For Australia, Independence beckons
ANDREW 1: Good morning listeners. My name is Andrew and with me is Bevan Ramsden. We’re from IPAN, the Independent and Peaceful Australia Network
In this edition of CICD’s alternative news, we return to the subject of Trump and his impact on Australia. We discuss the opportunity and challenge this presents to the Australia people for reconsideration of our relationship with the US and the charting of a course towards a truly independent, peaceful, and secure future.
BEVAN 1: Trump is not an aberration but instead a symptom of the disease presently gripping the US ruling establishment. The election of a deluded, authoritarian, racist and convicted felon, for a second presidential term, puts on display the decline and decay of the US empire.
It is surely high time for the Australian Government to abandon the illusion that being in lock step with the US as we presently are, provides us with security and protection.
ANDREW 2: We need to chart a fundamentally different course, one which involves engagement with our regional neighbours on the basis of equality, mutual respect and mutual benefit. We are, as Prof Clinton Fernandes put it, an island off the coast of Asia and our future lies in this region not in alliances such as AUKUS with Anglo-Saxon countries on the other side of the planet.
BEVAN 2: Adopting a policy of neutrality and non-alignment will keep Australia out of foreign wars. Joining the community of non-aligned nations will contribute to our security and joining ASEAN, the Association of South- East Asian Nations and working constructively within it, would be a natural consequence of living in this region.
This new orientation would become possible when Australia breaks free of the US military alliance and takes its place as a truly independent and responsible nation.
ANDREW 3: There are different concepts regarding what is meant by Australia becoming independent. There are those who think Australia should act as a middle power or higher and seek to project power and influence in the region on behalf of corporate interests, as the Howard government did in Timor-Leste on behalf of Woodside Petroleum in 2004.
BEVAN 3: Others, such as IPAN, see a neutral and independent Australia becoming a force of peace in our region. This means building friendly and cooperative relations with all countries to mutual benefit including in trade relations and with emphasis on diplomacy to resolve disputes with a view to preventing them escalating to the point of open hostility.
Indeed, IPAN’s alternative defence policy makes diplomacy the first line of defence.
ANDREW 4: In the event of diplomacy failing and Australia becoming threatened by an armed adversary, IPAN believes a self- defence force suitably equipped and trained would be necessary for territorial defence of Australia and its approach waters. IPAN holds that this self-defence force would not be deployed in overseas wars except, where appropriate, supporting United Nations peace keeping operations.
BEVAN 4: In IPAN’s view, an independent Australia would seek to be far more self-sufficient and self-reliant as this contributes to our security in times of international conflict and stress. Publicly-owned defence industries would be necessary to support our self-defence forces. And there would be no place for a privately owned military industrial complex.
ANDREW 5: In the 1950’s and 60’s Australia did provide publicly-owned industrial support to our ADF. Small arms and munitions were manufactured by the Australian Defence Industry (ADI). The famous Owen submachine gun was designed and manufactured in Australia. The Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation and Government Aircraft Factory designed and manufactured our military aircraft. The CSIRO designed and built the Jindalee over-the-horizon radar to detect distant military movements towards Australia. Successive government’s dismantled this Australian sovereign design and manufacturing capability through the process called privatisation under-pinned by the wider policy of globalisation.
BEVAN 5: This process would be reversed by an independent Australia seeking to become more self- reliant and re-establish sovereignty over these operations to the benefit of our security and increased job opportunities for Australian workers.
ANDREW 6: What circumstances will move Australia to take steps in the direction of independence?
BEVAN 6: The fundamental circumstances are recognition of the breaking up of the old security environment based on the US dominated western military alliance and the insecurity that this system produces. This becomes more evident by the day as Trump and his administration has made this crystal clear. US self-interest alone is determining US foreign policy.
ANDREW 7: What are the steps to take in moving Australia towards independence and breaking free of the US military alliance?
BEVAN 7: There are many steps to be taken, with some being easier and more appropriate at certain times.
A relatively easy first step would be for the Government to sign and ratify the TPNW which is short for Treaty for Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons. According to surveys done by ICAN, the International Campaign against Nuclear Weapons, nearly 80% of Australians want to see this Treaty signed. There are consequences in doing so. One would be the necessity to close the United States’ Relay Ground Station within Pine Gap which provides the US nuclear war room with real time surveillance information. Signatories to the TPNW cannot provide any support to a nuclear armed power. According to Pine Gap expert, Prof Richard Tanter, such a closure would not drastically affect the US because it is able to redirect the satellite information to a second satellite and down-load to a ground station elsewhere on the globe.
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ANDREW 8: Another such step is facing us right now. That is the need to cancel Australia’s involvement in the AUKUS security Pact with the US and UK, both pillar 1 and pillar 2. This involvement is to prepare for U.S. hostilities with China. It does not contribute to our security and on the contrary will draw us into war should it break out. Such a war, with our major trading partner, will be a disaster for our economy with loss of jobs, shortages of everyday items, as well as causing serious divisions in the community. Cancelling AUKUS will save us squandering $375 billion of public funds on nuclear. hunter-killer submarines which are for use in the South China Sea in hostilities against China. This saving can then be used to address urgent social needs in healthcare, education and housing as well as addressing the climate crisis, arguably, the greatest security threat we face. The AUKUS Agreement can be cancelled by the government giving the partners to the Agreement, one year’s notice.
BEVAN 8: A third step would be termination of the US- Australia Force Posture Agreement, FPA for short.
The FPA gives the United States military a heavy footprint on the Australian continent enabling it to plan, launch and support a foreign war from our soil in conjunction with our ADF which is now closely integrated with the US military.
The FPA document can be accessed on the IPAN web site at http://www.ipan.org.au.
The FPA provides for unimpeded access by the US military to agreed areas and facilities such as our ports for its warships and nuclear submarines, our airfields for its military aircraft including nuclear-capable B52 bombers stationed at RAAF Tindal as well as fuel, maintenance and munitions stores distributed in various parts of Australia. The FPA underpins the annual stationing of upwards of 2,500 US marines in NT each year for training and practising for war integrated with the ADF.
The FPA can be terminated by Australia giving the U.S. twelve months notice of termination.
ANDREW 9: In order for Australia to be a truly sovereign and independent nation our territory has to be cleared of foreign military forces, installations and personnel. Other US installations and so-called “Joint facilities” include:
- Pine Gap.
- Harold E. Holt Submarine Communications Station, North-West Cape, WA.
- Kojarena Satellite Communications Facility, Geraldton, WA.
- Space Surveillance Telescope (SST), North-West Cape, WA and associated low orbiting satellite surveillance radar.
- Combined US-Australia military Intelligence Centre in Canberra.
BEVAN 9: We should not under-estimate the likelihood of U.S. retaliation in the event of an Australian government implementing any of these measures. This could take the form of a capital strike by US investors, tariff impositions or even covert actions and psychological warfare aimed at destabilising the government as was done to the Whitlam government in 1975 resulting in its dismissal.
Hence planning for such eventualities would be essential before implementing such actions.
ANDREW 10: IPAN is presently planning a campaign to develop support across Australia for ending AUKUS and the Force Posture Agreement. The following steps are under consideration.
BEVAN 10: Phase 1 would be a campaign to gain support and signatures from organisations and individuals for a Public Statement calling for an end to AUKUS and the FPA. The Public Statement will remain open for signatures throughout the campaign. Phase 2. Would involve activists taking the campaign into their communities.
ANDREW 11: Using the signature list, IPAN would seek out 500 activists across Australia, to take the campaign into their local communities and work-places. This could involve forming local IPAN campaigning groups, organising public meetings and discussion groups, holding street stalls, leaflet distribution and utilisation of social media publicity.
BEVAN 11: In Victoria, this is already taking place with new activist groups being formed in Geelong and Gippsland in addition to IPAN(Vic). For details, listeners are referred to the IPAN web site, www.ipan.org.au
ANDREW 12: And that’s all we have time for today but will certainly return to this issue in future programs. As always we welcome listeners comment and suggestions which can be emailed to cicd@ peacecentre.org.au that is, cicd@peacecentre.org.au/. Good morning and thanks for listening.
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