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Australia Admits: It's Blood for Oil

Comment by Larry Ross, July 6, 2007

It was obvious from the beginning in 2003, when independent experts and everyone in the peace movement warned that possession of Iraq's oil was Bush's main reason for making war on Iraq. The media dutifully suppressed peace movement warnings at that time, and still do. Their loyalty is to the Bush regime and repeating its lies. They have a de facto ban on any other explanations of Bush's lengthy conspiracy and wars. Dominating Iraq's oil fields has always been a major factor in Bush's illegal aggression against Iraq. Australia is now admitting it but John Howard is still trying to fool the Australian public. He said " Australia didn't go there because of oil, etc."

Dr Nelson, Australia's Defence Minister offered other excuses for their war which were just as absurd. But they also were very revealing about Australia's foreign policy and defence establishment, their stupidly and inability to gather and use credible intelligence, or even define their own interests. Quite obviously they are still mired in suicidal cold war thinking. Here are a few examples:

1. Dr Nelson first claimed they went to war to secure vital oil supplies for Australia . In fact there was no threat to oil supplies, or hint of a threat, until the US-led "Coalition of the Willing" began their series of wars in the Middle East.
2. Nelson claimed Australia went to war "for stability in the Middle East ..." In fact the Iraq war and US-backed Israeli wars on Lebanon and Palestine and threats to make war on Iran are the major sources of instability in the Middle East. The war has already reduced oil production in Iraq , and threatened to cut oil supplies much further if the US starts its planned war with Iran. Also, since when has war promoted stability anywhere? War usually brings devastation, suffering and death as it has in Iraq.
3. Nelson's next reason for war was "to support the prestige of the US and UK". In fact since they started their illegal war based on lies, the prestige of both countries has never been lower and as international polls show, has been steadily getting lower as they continue their slaughter as well as imprisoning and torturing innocent Iraqis. Thus supporting their war is not a way to show support for their "prestige" as Nelson claims. It is a way to lower Australia 's prestige and parade as little more than Bush's fooled 'deputy sheriff'. It also makes Australia complicit in supporting US war crimes.
4. Nelson claims Australia went to war to "protect the economy as well as physical security... and resource security". In fact war is a huge expense and drain on the economy. If Bush escalates the war further and/or attacks Iran, the effects could severely threaten Australia's economy and the economy of its trading partners. As Iraq was supplying as much oil as the US sanctions would allow and managing it's oil resource, and could not threaten Australia's economy or "physical security" Australia had no real excuse to go to war with Iraq to protect it's unthreatened assets.
5. Dr Nelson justifies the war by saying "The entire Middle east region is an important supplier of energy, oil in particular, to the rest of the world". But prior to Bush's wars, there was no threat that Middle East oil supplies might be curtailed or interrupted to Australia or the rest of the world." Thus this excuse of Nelson's is simply a fabricated piece of nonsense.
6. Nelson hints at disaster "if there was a premature withdrawal from Iraq". In fact the US-led 'Coalition' has illegally invaded Iraq, slaughtered over 600,000 Iraqis and is continuing to turn the country into a vast war-torn quagmire and slaughterhouse. If the 'Coalition' withdrew their troops the causes of the war would be removed. There would soon be no war, particularly if the UN and neighbouring nations were invited to help aid the victims and make peace among the different factions. This method would be far more likely to give peace and stability to Iraq, than continuing the 'Coalition's' illegal war, with its bombings, shellings, imprisonments and torture of Iraqis supported by Dr. Nelson.

Australia's invasion and slaughter of Iraqis is a major war crime, committed in the mistaken belief that this was the best way to support the US and UK allies who started this illegal war. Prime Minister John Howard and Defence Minister Brendan Nelson are still using this and other discredited arguments to continue the slaughter in Iraq. It's time Australians stopped the Howard regime from continuing their war crimes.

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Nelson: Oil a Factor in Iraq Deployment

The Age, July 5, 2007

The Howard Government has today admitted that securing oil supplies is a factor in Australia's continued military involvement in Iraq.

Defence Minister Brendan Nelson said today oil was a factor in Australia's contribution to the unpopular war, as "energy security" and stability in the Middle East would be crucial to the nation's future.

Speaking ahead of today's key foreign policy speech by Prime Minister John Howard, Dr Nelson said defence was about protecting the economy as well as physical security.

Dr Nelson also said it was important to support the "prestige" of the US and UK.

"The defence update we're releasing today sets out many priorities for Australia's defence and security, and resource security is one of them," he told ABC radio.

"The entire (Middle East) region is an important supplier of energy, oil in particular, to the rest of the world.

"Australians and all of us need to think well what would happen if there were a premature withdrawal from Iraq?"

Federal Opposition leader Kevin Rudd has attacked Dr Nelson's comments, saying they contradict what the Howard Government said when the war began.

"When Mr Howard was asked back in 2003 whether this war had anything to do with oil, Mr Howard said in no way did it have anything to do with oil," Mr Rudd told reporters in Sydney today.

"This Government simply makes it up as it goes along on Iraq."

Dr Nelson said the primary reason for Australian troops remaining in Iraq was to prevent violence between the Sunni and Shia population, and to bring stability to the region.

"We're also there to support our key ally - that's the United States of America - and we're there to ensure that we don't have terrorism driven from Iraq which would destabilise our own region," he said.

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