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Australian Protest At Bush/Cheney/Howard Iraq War

Comment by Larry Ross, February 23, 2007

It's good to see these photos of Australians protesting the Iraq war and the Cheney visit. Many people.are waking up to the facts that Australia is helping the Bush regime fight a totally illegal war based on lies. The war has no purpose or meaning, except to dominate middle east oil and to be a base to launch a lie-based war on Iran.

In NZ, as in Australia , the media are busy repeating the lies and false assumptions of the US campaign to demonise Iran and condition people to fear Iran and support a US-led war on Iran. They performed the same function for the illegal  US war on Iraq. It is a matter of using public tax payers' money to deceive that public.

Example of Radio Propaganda About Iran, Similar to Radio Propaganda to Justify the War on Iraq  

For example the Radio New Zealand found a so-called 'political scientist' - Robert Patman of Otago University, who would repeat the lies and false assumptions about Iran on radio Feb 23, 2007.

   Patman did not mention inconvenient truths that contradicted the false US slanted story he presented.

1. He did not mention that the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) reported several times, that it did not find any evidence that Iran had, or was making, nuclear weapons, or had any such program. This finding by a respected international agency is vitally important when assessing the truth or falsity of US claims about Iran , nuclear weapons and Iran becoming a nuclear threat. It was very relevant to the issue Patman was hired to talk about. That Patman chose not mention this fact is very significant.
2. Patman did not mention that Iran is entitled to enrich uranium for power purposes under IAEA inspection, and under the terms of the NPT.
   By not mentioning this fact, he left the impression that Iran was doing something illegal, dangerous and not allowed. Also, he did not mention that many other nuclear states are doing the same thing without incurring the threats of the US and Israel.
3. The overall image the US is promoting about Iran is that it is a threat to it's neighbours, particularly Israel , and that it is working toward making nuclear weapons. Then it will become a mortal threat to Israel according to US-Israeli propaganda. Patman did nothing to challenge these myths. There is no proof that Iran is working toward nuclear weapons and much evidence that it isn't and does not intend to. There is no possibility of Iran ever becoming a credible threat to Israel . Israel has enough nuclear weapons in it's arsenal to turn all of Iran into a smoking rubble and grave for most of it's population. It is sheer nonsense and propaganda to suggest (in this case by omission) that Iran is a threat. By not challenging one of the main myths, Patman gives the impression that he accepts its basic premise.
4. There are 9 known nuclear weapon states - none of which has been attacked or threatened because they became nuclear weapon states. Iran, which has no record of aggression against any other country, and does not have or plan to make nuclear weapons - has suddenly been transformed into a major nuclear threat. Why is Iran such a threat and worthy of attack and sanctions, when the other nine countries are free to make as many nuclear weapons as they please? That there is no mention of this absurdity in Patman's commentary, suggests a tacit acceptance of the validity of absurd US accusations. Why does the NZBC select such people as supposed 'expert' commentators?

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Chain up Cheney! Bring Hicks home!

Sydney anti-war marchers defy police ban and reclaim the streets

A Possum News Network Exclusive
Words and pictures by Gavin Gatenby, February 22, 2007

This evening 1500 anti-war demonstrators overcame a strong police presence and, after a half-hour confrontation with the NSW riot squad and mounted police marched to the US Consulate to protest against US Vice-President Dick Cheney's visit to Australia and the five-year imprisonment of David Hicks in Guantanamo Bay.

An unexpected last-minute ban by NSW Police (no doubt at the instigation of the NSW Labor Government) turned what would have been a routine demonstration into a major test of the right to march.

The demonstrators prevailed after hundreds filtered through the police cordon around Town Hall Square. The remaining demonstrators bottled up in the square then voted to disperse and move in small groups to the US Consulate in Martin Place. Faced with the impossibility pursuing hundreds of small groups of demonstrators through Thursday night shopping crowds, the police relented and allowed the demonstration to proceed to the US Consulate.

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