JetService From United States of America, joined Feb 2000, 4798 posts, RR: 13 Reply 1, posted (10 years 2 months 1 week 4 days 6 hours ago) and read 592 times:
Geez, If I were to resign in protest, I'd at least wait until a war actually happened. There is the remote possibility that this tough stand is a facade designed more to pressure UN compliance.
ADG From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 2, posted (10 years 2 months 1 week 4 days 6 hours ago) and read 585 times:
www.news.com.au
Analyst vilified for war stance
March 12, 2003
A SENIOR intelligence analyst who quit in protest at Australia's role in a potential war against Iraq today said he had already been vilified for his stand.
Senior analyst Andrew Wilkie resigned from the Office of National Assessments (ONA), the office which advises Prime Minister John Howard on international issues of importance to Australia.
Mr Wilkie, a former army officer, says a war against Iraq would be bad policy and that Australia's position is based on incomplete information.
Today he said vilification for his stance had already begun.
But he said while his action would hurt ONA, he stood by his comments.
"I think it's (vilification) already started, in some ways," he told ABC Radio.
"ONA's statement to the media yesterday I think has tried to play down my access to information on the Iraq issue, as I would have expected them to do.
"And I would have expected that sort of management of the issue to continue within government. It's going to hurt ONA a lot, and I regret that.
"But I think there some issues that are bigger than those sorts of concerns."
ONA director-general Kim Jones yesterday told reporters Mr Wilkie was a member of ONA's Transnational Issues Branch and normally worked on illegal immigration issues.
Mr Jones also said it was not the role of ONA to give policy advice to the Government.
Mr Wilkie today said Iraq did not pose a security threat to any country, its military was weak and its weapons of mass destruction program disjointed and contained.
The Iraq problem was unrelated to the war on terror, he said.
While Iraq was a rogue state, the Iraq problem was more related to US domestic politics and US credibility, he said.
"It may well be that we have to go to war against Iraq eventually but we should be exploring better inspections and so on," he said.
"What worries me is that a war, an invasion, is the option that's most likely to prompt Saddam to do exactly what we're trying to prevent."
War could prompt recklessness from Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein, Mr Wilkie said.
"A war is what is most likely to force him to act recklessly, to possibly use weapons of mass destruction himself and to possibly play a terrorism card."
Foreign Minister Alexander Downer said Mr Wilkie had done the right thing by resigning but he said he disagreed with the analyst.
ADG From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 3, posted (10 years 2 months 1 week 4 days 6 hours ago) and read 580 times:
JetService,
The idea of protest is to bring it to the attention of the people prior to the attack occurring. He has done the right thing.
Additionally, there is growing concern about the release of information from the states to 60 countries accusing the Iraqi Ambassedors of "spying", either these are false complaints or the timing is "specific" and questions are beings asked as to why the advice wasn't sent out before.
Either way, the US has lied to it's friends. Nice ally that one.... (not)
Clipperhawaii From United States of America, joined Dec 1999, 2033 posts, RR: 13 Reply 6, posted (10 years 2 months 1 week 3 days 5 hours ago) and read 524 times:
A tree falls silently in the forest. No one hears or cares.
Jj From Algeria, joined Jun 2001, 1227 posts, RR: 2 Reply 7, posted (10 years 2 months 1 week 3 days 3 hours ago) and read 514 times:
At least some australians will hear and care. Look, I hear......
BTW, when are your troops coming to the "triple frontera"? I understand that there are lots of terrorists there. In fact, the number may be as high as in Iraq. These guy they captured the other day.... he had been in Foz do Iguazu in 199something..... that's in the triple frontera......
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