‘A coalition of American churches
sharply denounced the US-led war in Iraq on Saturday, accusing Washington of
"raining down terror" and apologizing to other nations for "the
violence, degradation and poverty our nation has sown." 

The statement, issued at the
largest gathering of Christian churches in nearly a decade, also warned the
United States was pushing the world toward environmental catastrophe with a
"culture of consumption" and its refusal to back international
accords seeking to battle global warming. 

The following statement was
prepared by a group of Australian women (community workers & academics) in
response to the latest anti-Muslim comments made by the Prime Minister.  

They are seeking support from
Australian women & women's organisations to publicly express condemnation
of such bigoted views & the ongoing race baiting of the Muslim Australian
community.

’We are a group of Australian women from diverse ethnic & cultural backgrounds
who stand together in condemning the Prime Minister for the peddling of his
Islamophobic views.

After ten years of playing the race card, the Prime Minister's inflammatory comments
about Muslim Australians this week represent a new low for community relations.
Last week, it was Federal Coalition member Danna Vale demonising Muslim women as
little more than breeders. This week the Prime Minister racially sledges the
Muslim community by singling them out as antagonistic to Australian culture.
Howard is unambiguous in his racialised message when he states: 

From
the ABC ….. 

An
Australian diplomat told the Government that Iraq wanted fees outside the
oil-for-food program. 

No
AWB link in kickbacks cable: PM 

 When you finish reading this you'll wonder what other lies we're being told.

Was Terence Cole's request for those with information to step
forward a plea or a threat of revelation?  Caroline Overington's
detailing of those who received the ominous cable suggest the latter
premise is worth considering.

 [extract]

The scam was outlined in a diplomatic cable
dated April 10, 2001 from Bronte Moules, an official at Australia's permanent mission to the UN in New York.

It was widely distributed through the top echelons of government, including the Prime Minister, Foreign Affairs Minister Alexander Downer, Trade Minister Mark Vaile and then-minister for agriculture Warren Truss.

 Have a look at Halliburton's proud involvement in defending Australia

Our Projects include:

Coastwatch
KBR provided advice to Coastwatch, an Australian Customs Service
division, during its ongoing consultation with industry on future
capabilities. [Note Coastwatch now shares the JORN radar system with the US Missile Shield]

Patrol Boat Replacement

KBR is providing ongoing support to this Australian Navy capability acquisition project.

Joint Project 126
KBR provided a full study team to this Australian Defence Force Theatre
Distribution System project. Our team completed the project definition
study that will be used as the basis for the project's future scope and
direction.

Project Echidna
KBR is delivering long-term assistance to this large Australian defence
electronic warfare project, including acquisition strategy, tender
evaluation, systems engineering and planning support.

Land 134
KBR provided tender preparation and evaluation services as well as
integrated logistics support services to the Combat Training Centre
Live Simulation Range Instrumentation and Information System project.

Project PARAKEET
KBR delivered systems engineering, integrated logistics support and
project management for the Australian Army's trunk communications
system.

From the ABC

PM declines Cole invitation

The Prime Minister says there is nothing
more that Government Ministers can offer the Cole Inquiry.

Earlier
today, Commissioner Terence Cole issued an invitation for anyone with
information about kickbacks or the Iraqi oil-for-food scandal to appear before
his inquiry. He made special mention of Members of Parliament and public
servants. 

'I was startled to hear
Prime Minister John Howard of Australia exclaim in a BBC interview last night
that he could not understand why pictures of starving Jewish interns of Bergen
Belsen, Dachau, and Aushwitz had been aired, yet again, by an Australian TV station
a few days ago.  

"I
don't understand what news value there is any longer in showing more pictures
of starving Jews, tortured in these prison camps."  

This sounds like the kind of conversation probably occurring in DFAT round about now

"There is the excuse we used for the Munich Agreement: It occurred
before certain important facts were known, and couldn't happen again."

"What important facts?"

"Well, that Hitler wanted to conquer Europe."

"I thought that everybody knew that."

"Not the Foreign Office."

‘Now, mounting a Hyde Park
soapbox to praise Chechens’ valiant struggle or urging Palestinians or Iraqis
or afghans to keep resisting foreign occupation will be a crime. Terrorism has
erased the term “justice” from our minds. 

The litmus test of free speech in
letting people you detest say what they choose & defending their right to
say things that may be painfully hateful or deeply stupid. 

Tony Blair just trampled this
basic British right. Britain now joins sleazy, third-world despotisms where
‘The Glorious Leader’ alone determines what one may & may not say. 

‘"If I was the president, I could stop terrorist
attacks against the United States in a few days. Permanently. 

I would first apologize - very
publicly and very sincerely - to all the widows and the orphans, the impoverished
and the tortured, and all the many millions of other victims of American
imperialism. 

I would then announce that
America’s global interventions - including the awful bombings - have come to an
end.