The Militant (logo)  
   Vol. 67/No. 6           February 17, 2003  
 
 
Australia warship carries troops
for invasion of Iraq
(back page)
 
BY RON POULSEN  
SYDNEY, Australia--The warship HMAS Kanimbla left Sydney January 23 carrying 350 Australian army and navy personnel to the Arab-Persian Gulf. The following day 150 Special Air Service [SAS] commandos flew out of Perth. With these open war moves, Australia’s rulers lined up behind Britain as the third imperialist power to send ground forces as part of the U.S.-led "coalition of the willing"--the phrase used by U.S. president George Bush--in the buildup to war on Iraq.

The military commitment will grow to about 2000 personnel. This will be substantially larger, and equipped to operate more independently, than the force Canberra contributed to the assault on Afghanistan.

In his speech sending off the troops Prime Minister John Howard said that the forces could be used "in wider operations." Late last year, Howard said that his government had the right to carry out strikes on neighboring countries judged to harbor "terrorist" threats. His comments prompted protests from government officials in Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Singapore, and the Philippines, where angry street demonstrations were also organized.

Kanimbla, a naval transport vessel, is to also serve as the local command center of the Australian forces. A frontline unit of SAS commandos will join U.S. and British special forces inside Iraq. Some Australian commandos are reported to be already involved alongside U.S. special forces inside Iraq with other officers stationed at U.S. military bases in the region.

A naval diving team and several dozen "quick reaction" troops for chemical and biological warfare are also part of the deployment. Three Hercules C-130 transport planes and three large Chinook helicopters are being sent to airlift the troops.

The Royal Australian Air Force is sending a squadron of 14 F/A-18 strike fighters with laser-guided bombs to join in the aerial bombardment of Iraqi targets. This is the first combat role for Australian fighter jets since the Vietnam War.

Currently two Australian P3-C Orion reconnaissance planes and two navy frigates are in the Gulf region, vigorously prosecuting the imperialist blockade on Iraq.

Labor opposition leader Simon Crean joined the farewell ceremony for the Kanimbla. Crean said that he supported the troops but was against any "deployment... ahead of the United Nations determining it."

The Labor leadership has not ruled out supporting a unilateral U.S.-led attack against Iraq if the UN cover for war is insufficient. The Democrats and Greens, which are smaller opposition parties, have criticized Howard’s "warmongering" while calling for a UN mandate for any war.

Up to 200 protesters gathered at the Kanimbla sendoff to target Canberra’s war moves. They chanted "Howard is a war criminal!" and "No war for oil!" More demonstrations are planned around the country on February 16 as part of international days of action against the looming war on Iraq.

Ron Poulsen is a member of the Maritime Union of Australia.  
 
 
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