Fractures and Dissent in Relation to Australian War on Afghanistan

international | anti-war / imperialism | news report

Tuesday September 14, 2010 06:46

by Ciaron O'Reilly/Plowshares

When I left Australia in May 2010, the OZ military fatalities in Afghanistan stood at 11 over the previous 9 years. They have now doubled in the last few months including the death of an Irish born man from Carlow serving with the Australian SAS. Australian fatlities.....
http://www.icasualties.org/oef/Nationality.aspx?hndQry=...ralia

Also a potential fracture is evident in the dragged out inquiry into the Australian military killing Afghani children. See below....

"THE Director of Military Prosecutions wants to take the unprecedented step of charging several Defence Force commandos with the deaths of five children during a raid in Afghanistan last year.
While the Director of Military Prosecutions, Brigadier Lyn McDade, has not made her final decision, the prospect of charges has infuriated senior officers, with the Chief of Army, Lieutenant-General Ken Gillespie, and other commanders expressing concern in writing.
Some in the Defence hierarchy are concerned it will further erode public support for the war and undermine the way soldiers operate in Afghanistan.
Continued.....

http://www.smh.com.au/world/diggers-face-likely-charges....html

I grew up on the back of Enoggera/Gallipoli Barracks during the Vietnam War when young men were being shipped off to kill and die for the USA in south east Asia.

In WW1 my mother had three uncles shipped through the barracks to the "war to end all wars". It was a time when the Australian military were more accurately named the "Australian Imperial Forces". They are now branded the Australian Defense Forces and servicing American rather than British imperialism.

Whenever I am based in Brisbane along with the Catholic Worker network we have been able to maintain a weekly anti-war vigil outside the Barracks. Our interactions with soldeirs departing and returning from Iraq and Afghanistran have been varied and interesting. As with civil society in other parts of the imperial heartland, Australians remain largely disengaged nine years into this war on Afghanistan. There is no visible support for the war, there is no visible opposition...ther is just the escalating war. The politicians spouting their sentimental shite whenever a young soldier, they have sent to kill and be killed, dies.

In the last few weeks a number of the soldiers based at the Enoggera/Gallipoli barracks have been killed in Afghanistan.

A recent positive development was this demonstration by Australian military veterans at the gates of the barracks. See report and vid....
http://stand-fast.webs.com/news.htm