Media Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 10th February, 2022
- US and Australia fail to learn the lessons from Afghanistan war
- Australia spending billions to stay close to the USA and prepare for war
- Nuclear powered submarines are another mistaken
According to the Chairperson of the Independent and Peaceful Australia Network, Ms Annette Brownlie, “In the aftermath of the failed military adventures in Afghanistan and Iraq, Australia continues to see conflict through the lens of a military response under the direction from the USA.“
This week’s visit from US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken to Australia, meeting with members of the so-called QUAD, has stated aims to “raise our ambition in the region, including on climate, maritime, and transportation issues”. These must be viewed within the context of the persistent ‘drums of war’ rhetoric being heard from both US and Australian politicians.
The Secretary of State is here and later in Fiji to shore up US support in the Pacific. Most countries (other than Australia) prefer not to have to choose between the US and China but want peaceful relations with both. This doesn’t suit the US however, who are losing the economic and political war with China, and are falling back on their old standby, the military.
The AUKUS pact being considered will create a huge hole in the budget over the next decades and for what? Grace Tame in her speech at the National Press Club raised the question of inadequate funding to address violence in our community and she brought up the tens of billions of dollars spent on submarines “that might be ready by 2040” to combat “a potential offshore threat”. Nurses are walking off the job because of the lack of staffing and support to cope with the pandemic. “Our security needs are here at home, not in preparing for more distant and unnecessary wars under US direction”, stated Ms Brownlie.
IPAN calls for re-direction of public funds away from war preparations to address our real security needs in safety from violence for women, adequate health resources to address the pandemic and serious attention to action against human-induced climate change.
-ENDS-
IPAN Media Spokesperson: Annette Brownlie, 0431 597 256
Media liaison: ipan.australia@gmail.com or 0428 973 324