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Media Release 8 November 2010
Veterans and ex service people say No! to AUSMIN
Gillard and Rudd betray the Australian Armed Services
Stand Fast, the national association of veterans and ex-service people against the Afghan and Iraq wars, will be speaking out against the military deals being struck at the Melbourne AUSMIN by PM Julia Gillard, Foreign Affairs Minister Rudd, US Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, and Defence Secretary, Robert Gates,
from noon to 2 pm Monday 8 November 2010
at gates of Victoria Barracks
256-310 St Kilda Rd, Southbank
"This deal will officially confirm something many people have known and feared for a long time - that the Australian Defence Force is anything but defensive. Through weasel words like 'inter-operability', 'closer ties' and 'security co-operation' the ADF is being integrated into the US war machine," said Hamish Chitts, East Timor veteran and spokesperson for Stand Fast.
"As if endless war in Afghanistan is not enough, Clinton and Gates are demanding more in the name of the US - Australian Alliance: endless wars in the Pacific too."
The US military is being forced out of their huge base in Okinawa, Japan, because the people of Okinawa are sick of decades of violent crime this base has brought upon them. The US agreed to move their troops to Guam but the people there don't want them and the US Senate has decided it will cost too much.
Okinawa is home to more than half of the 47,000 American troops based in Japan, so the question is how many of them will be permanently based in Australia when this deal goes through?
"How will places like Townsville and Darwin deal with the social tensions, abuse of women, crime, and massive toxic waste and pollution that are features US military bases around the world?"
Stand Fast says: Support the troops! Bring them home from Afghanistan! End the lies. End the wars. End the US Alliance.
The Victoria Barracks Speak Out will be the sixth in a national campaign of barrack gate Speak Outs by veterans opposing the Afghan and Iraq wars.
Further information
Hamish Chitts, founder Stand Fast 0401 586 923
Graeme Dunstan, Speak Out organiser, Peacebus.com 0403 214 422/0407 951 688
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