Stand Fast Press Release 25th May 2011 "Crocodile tears and deceit" is what Stand Fast spokesperson, Hamish Chitts has called the responses of PM Gillard, Defence Minister Smith and Air Chief Marshal Houston to the death and injury of more Australian soldiers in Afghanistan. Stand Fast is a group of veterans and ex-service people opposed to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
The death brings the total of deaths in 10 years of war by Australians in Afghanistan to 26, half of them in the last 12 months.
This is not exactly a sign of progress, nor is Smith's call for the nation to steel itself for more deaths in the upcoming fighting season any kind of reassurance. While Gillard claims the occupation is improving the lives of the people of Afghanistan more and more people in that country are taking up arms against the occupation. Not because they've been won to the Taliban's world view but because they want the foreign troops out of their country.
“I'm no fan of the current Australian government, nor the opposition for that matter, but if a coalition of foreign powers brutally occupied this country I would fight that coalition and so would many others,” said Chitts.
Gillard also claims its a war about making people in Australia safer while at the same time her government and those of all the states and territories are spending billions on 'security' and legislating away our civil liberties because they claim it is no longer safe.
“Both Gillard and Abbott cry “Bali bombing” and talk about the 'tragic loss of Australians' whenever there's a challenge to their war on terror . Yet both Abbott and Gillard have overseen laws which have enabled bosses to cut corners on workplace safety. According to the Australian Council of Trade Unions around 7000 people in Australia die every year from work related causes. Where's the war on these killers?” said Chitts.
According to the January 22 Sunday Telegraph veterans as young as 25 are being lumped in nursing homes and psychiatric wards because there are no defence forces-specific facilities to care for mental illnesses. Other young veterans are hiding out in rural areas to isolate themselves because they are ashamed or do not know how to deal with trauma brought on by war. Those who help veterans deal with post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are expecting a tsunami of new cases in the next five to ten years, involving thousands of veterans, as the trauma of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan comes to the surface.
“The politicians' respect for soldiers is not real. They only talk about the dead to sell their dodgy war. They care nothing for the wounded, especially the mentally scarred, and the politicians don't want people to know about it because it might effect recruiting,” said Chitts.
The Australian Government can point to no gains for the lives wasted in Afghanistan. Nor can they promise any gains in the future.
Just more lies and more wasted blood and taxes.
"We don't want your crocodile tears," said Chitts to Gillard, Smith and Houston.
"We want the troops home now."
email: standfast.au@gmail.com
Comments
Re: Veterans group to Gillard, “No crocodile tears for the ...
Get to the nub of the battle casualties if we are to stay, and no crocodile tears by plastic pollies please; IEDs.
IEDs are either command (remote) detonated by an observer or self initiated. These things are a savage practical joke that are making over 80% of our battle casualties.
The question is, what are we doing about minimising their harm by discovery or neutralisation? The US Joint IED Defeat Organisation (JIEDDO) last December after spending $17 billion (yes that is billion!) arrived at the conclusion that "The best IED detection tool is the competent handler and his Explosive Detection Dog (EDD).”
With the changed profile of our battle casualties from gunshot to IED as the predominant tool of the Taliban, and this is not news, I must ask; 'On deployment how many Sapper Dog Handlers and EDD were initially deployed to Afghanistan, and how many are now deployed? Is there any plan to increase this level of dog and handler deployment with intent of improved detection and minimisation of casualties?'
Less platitudes and examination of navel fluff, and more searching analysis by competent analysts, not just journalists, please.