The Case for Iraq
Information: A quick questionnaire with Rob Miles from Hunters and Collectors re: the impeding attack on Iraq.
Author: Stuart Fenech / Rob Miles.
Date: 11 February 2003.
Despite popular opposition amongst the Australian public to a war in Iraq without United Nations support, the Australian Prime Minister John Howard continues to push ahead with complete support for the actions and plans of the United States. Along with American and British troops, two thousand Australian troops are already involved in the military build up in the Gulf. In recent gigs, Mark Seymour has brought back the Hunters and Collectors classic “What’s A Few Men?” and commented about the prospect of war and even World War III. Not scared of a bit of politics, True Believers invited former Hunters and Collectors member Robert Miles to share his opinion on the situation…
Q) Do you think Iraq has ‘weapons of mass destruction’?
A) Probably not, they are isolated and probably not together enough to do it properly (i.e. delivery systems etc). It’s a furphy anyway, the war is about control of oil in the Middle East, Iraq is a major foot in the door for the US. (France is opposed because they have the current access and contracts, and so do the Germans. The British have none, hence the alliance with the US.) The country with the most WMD is the US, by far, so the fox is in charge of the chicken coop.
Q) Can another half a million or so Iraqi civilian deaths be justified?
A) Definitely not in moral terms, but easily in economic ones.
Q) What probability would you put at this situation degenerating into World War 3?
A) Zero. For a World War you need roughly equivalent opposing forces. The US is on it’s own, by probably an order of magnitude. However, it is absolutely guaranteed to increase terrorist attacks at a global scale.
Q) What country do you consider the biggest threat to ‘world peace’ at this moment in time?
A) North Korea and the US.
Q) What are your general feelings re: George W. Bush and his administration?
A) Dubya is an oil-man, born and bred, as well as thinking he has a natural right to govern. He is just carrying business as usual, and will most likely succeed. The cost of the war will be less than the cost of the oil supplies secured for the long term, and will provide a base for controlling others such as the Saudis in the even longer term. It will also mean (if it is concluded quickly) that future unilateral military action by the US will be seen as a legitimate foreign policy option, much the same way as it was in Europe until the end of WW2.
N/A.
