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[ Presenting plain-text part of multi-format email ] AN OPEN LETTER TO ALL MEMBERS OF THE HOUSE OF COMMONS FROM A CONCERNED AUSTRALIANS RE: WAR ON IRAQ Members of the House of Commons you should not underestimate the damage that Prime Minister Tony Blair, President George W. Bush, and Prime Minister John Howard decision to go to war against Iraq is going to do to our countries. The assertion that Iraq is a threat to its neighbours is not supportable, and as a threat to the west, just plain nonsense. Whilst Iraq's attempt in 1990/91 to gain Kuwait on the justification that it lay within the pre 1917 boundaries of the then Ottoman Turkish Province of Mesopotamia was clearly wrong and broke International law, just why have ordinary Iraqis had to pay for this action for now over a decade in the form of crippling sanctions and almost continuous bombing ? And now it would seem as well a murderous war. By starting what is clearly an opportunistic war on Iraq there may be in the short term be some windfalls to the Oil companies. However in the longer term I and many other Australians believe that all our Governments are doing is sowing the seeds for the next generation of terrorists. When will the Americans face up to the mistakes made during the Reagan and Bush Sen. years and make a serious effort to bring to justice those within the United States whom where responsible for instigating the formation of the Afghan Mujahudin (and other Islamic Terror Groups) during the first Afghan War?. Were not these maniacs armed and trained by the CIA with the assistance of the Military Intelligence Organisation of Pakistan (SIS) at U.S taxpayers expenses (to the tune of some 6 Billion dollars)? Was not the help given to the Afghan Mujahudin by the so called Arab Afghans an arrangement aided and abetted by the C.I.A.? Where not the Arab Afghans (including the quartermaster general for their operations Bin Laden) trained in terrorism by the CIA to carry out operations against the Soviet Union and its puppet Government in Afghanistan? and (unless you don't wasn't to known) do they not now form the core of Al Qaeda ?. Are not many others trained in this time by the CIA , now leading active terrorist organisations in countries ie Algeria, Egypt, Russia and Chechnia, The Phillipines and Indonesia. Didn't the Indonesian outfit the Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) the terrorist organisation who were responsible for the recent Bali attack, that killed so many Young Australians and Britons and other nationalities also have the same common denominator as the others ie U.S taxpayers paid for the training of most of their leadership during the first Afghan war?. Ask yourself why now, over one year since the terrible events of 9/11 why none of these individuals have ever been brought to book for their criminal stupidity in creating this monster. Whilst the late (and very mad) CIA Director Bill Casey has been blamed (by U.S leaders behind closed doors) for this debacle. Did he not have many accomplices ?? - why haven't any of them been charged or at least sanctioned ????. I put to you, that it could well have something to do with the fact that many of them still occupy senior positions in the current U.S administration and believe that by promoting a diversionary war with Iraq so that their past activities can be more easily sweep under the carpet. Because of this and other serious anomalies including the previous strong support by the U.S of Saddam Hussein during the 1980'ie s when billions were handed over to support Iraq in its war with Iran, in which their were over one million and a half casualties that it is with great concern (and sorrow) to myself and many in Australia that our own Government has agreed to fight in the Gulf in support of your country and the U.S. Many of us believe this deployment probably will do more to harm to our nations standing in our region (and the world) than any decision made in Australia since we disastrously agreed to commit troops to Vietnam. Please understand that your proposed War in Iraq does not have the support of the great majority of Australians (or Britons for that matter) in this illegal and immoral war, even if you do have our Prime Minister John Howard's acquiescence. Yours Sincerely, Vance Painter --------------------------------- Yahoo! Mobile - Check & compose your email via SMS on your Telstra or Vodafone mobile. _______________________________________________ Sent via the discussion list of the Campaign Against Sanctions on Iraq. To unsubscribe, visit http://lists.casi.org.uk/mailman/listinfo/casi-discuss To contact the list manager, email casi-discuss-admin@lists.casi.org.uk All postings are archived on CASI's website: http://www.casi.org.uk