War: not in my name

On December 5, 2008 Senator Evans publicly stated that “… Ongoing conflicts in countries such as Iraq, Afghanistan and Sri Lanka have seen thousands of displaced people seeking refuge around the world, and the people smugglers are exploiting these people at their most vulnerable times …” With barriers faced at Syrian and Jordanian borders to the northwest and west of Iraq, what choices does the Rudd Government say are available to the Iraqi refugees who need to flee the violence in their own country? Which routes should they take? Is Australia providing them with any assistance?

(b) Is the Rudd Government going to increase its “resettlement quota more broadly in order to at least maintain previous levels of resettlement in relation to its overall immigration programme”, as has been strongly urged by Amnesty International?

(c) Amnesty International Australia reported that:

... the Australian government has pledged in its budget announcement of May 2008, to provide AUD 140 million (US$134 million) over three years, with AUD$60million (US$57million) in 2008-09, for humanitarian assistance and reconstruction priorities and to assist in building the capacity of the Iraqi government in key sectors. The Australian government stated its enhanced package of assistance will help meet the immediate humanitarian needs of Iraq’s vulnerable civilian population by providing access to essential food items, emergency shelter, clean water and adequate sanitation and basic health services. It will aim to improve Iraqi government capacity and assist reconstruction efforts in Iraq by improving basic services, particularly in agriculture, and supporting mine risk education. To deliver this assistance, the Australian government stated that it will work closely with key international humanitarian and development agencies including the ICRC, UNHCR, WFP and UNICEF. The budget further allocated AUD10 million (US$9.6 million) in 2008- 2009 to specifically assist with stabilising populations in Iraq through the Displaced Persons and Refugee Fund.

How will the Rudd Government monitor and report to the electorate on the outcomes from its expenditure? What, if any, conditions have been placed on this funding?

4. Accountability

(a) Five guards from the private US security firm Blackwater recently were charged over a shooting which left more than a dozen Iraqis dead in central Baghdad last year. US attorney Jeff Taylor’s commented (emphasis added): "... We take no pleasure in charging individuals whose job it is to protect the men and women of our country but when individuals are alleged to have violated the law while carrying out those duties, we are duty bound to hold them accountable as no one is above the law even when our country is engaged in war." I presume this is the stance adopted by the Australian Government?

However:

(b) Last month Lord Bingham publicly stated that the “war in Iraq” was “a serious violation of international law and the rule of law”. Does the Rudd Government agree?

(c) Late last year Alan Greenspan said “... I am saddened that it is politically inconvenient to acknowledge what everyone knows: the Iraq war is largely about oil ...” Considering this admission along with the issues raised by Christopher Doran in A militarised Neo- Liberalism: Australia’s Economic Polices, will the Rudd Government investigate the legality of all of Australia’s economic activities in Iraq?

(d) The Amnesty International Carnage and Despair Iraq five years on 2008 report says:

... Five years on, Iraqis are living in fear and desperation. Despite a recent decrease in bloodshed, violence continues to claim hundreds of civilian lives every month. The human rights situation is bleak. All sides involved in the fighting have committed atrocities that amount to war crimes and crimes against humanity. The Iraqi government has failed to investigate gross human rights violations or bring those responsible to justice. The MNF has committed serious human rights violations.

The Iraqi government, the MNF and the international community must make a real commitment to protect and promote the full range of human rights for all Iraqis and others within Iraq, including the millions of people who have been forced to abandon their homes. While Amnesty International recognises that both the Iraqi government and the MNF are facing armed groups who aim to deliberately kill large numbers of civilians, this must not be used as justification for their forces to perpetrate serious human rights violations with impunity.