The Guardian 15 November, 2006
End the war in Iraq! Withdraw all foreign troops!
Defeat the Howard Government!
The following resolution was adopted by the
Central Committee of the Communist Party of Australia
at its meeting on November 11-12-2006.
The crushing defeat of the Republican Party in the mid-term US elections in which the main issue was the war in Iraq is a major repudiation of this war by the American people and delivers a crippling blow to the Bush administration.
The lies told to justify the war, the heavy losses suffered by US military forces, the military bungling and corruption of the Pentagon and other factors have contributed to this result. It gives hope that this vote of the US people and the consistent street demonstrations against the war, will eventually force a total withdrawal which would be an important step towards ending the war and restoring Iraqi independence and sovereignty.
We support and applaud the efforts of the American people to bring an end to their government’s criminal policies which have led to a huge loss of life among the citizens of Iraq — men, women and children — and devastated their country.
At present, however, the Bush administration intends to continue the war but with certain changes in tactics to create the impression that something is being done.
In this, the Bush administration is fully backed by the Blair and Howard Governments which are intent on continuing this dirty and dishonest war to "win" a continued dominance of the US in Iraq. In particular their aim is to secure their control of the vast Iraqi oil resources and to establish large military and air bases in Iraq which would be used in an attempt to dominate not only Iraq but other oil-rich Middle East countries as well.
The Communist Party of Australia will continue to demand that the invasions and wars imposed on Iraq and Afghanistan be ended and all foreign military forces be withdrawn. The right to independence and sovereignty and the right to choose their own social and governmental system must be restored to the Iraqi and Afghani people. We equally demand that US forces be withdrawn and all US bases closed down. It is a disgrace that the Australian Government spends $55 million per day on the military while schools and hospitals go without.
A major contribution to this end would be achieved in Australia by the defeat of the Howard government. It is not only a war-mongering government but has shown by many actions that it is a contemptible pawn ready to agree to whatever is demanded of it by the US administration.
The Australian Government is also imposing imperialist and colonialist policies by adopting its right to carry out pre-emptive strikes policies against so-called "failed" or "rogue" states. In the South Pacific the Australian government, in collusion with the United States, is interfering in East Timor, the Solomon Island, Fiji, Papua New Guinea and elsewhere.
We reject these policies and demand that the Australian Government abide by the right of all nations, whether big or small to independence and the right to choose their own form of social, political and economic system as are inscribed in the United Nations Charter.
Australia’s independence is also being undermined by its subservience to the United States administration. The removal of the Howard Government at the 2007 Federal election can build and strengthen the people’s movement to secure our country’s independence.