New ACT peace coalition

CANBERRA — On September 8, a new peace coalition was formed in the ACT. Attending the meeting were representatives from the Greens, the left caucus of the Labor Party, the ACT Council of Churches, the Quakers, the Socialist Alliance, Unions ACT, the Women's International Peace Service, 2XX radio station and the Canberra Islamic Centre.

The peace group's meeting was introduced by the ACT Chief Minister Jon Stanhope, who used the meeting to announce his support for the current Australian troop deployment in Iraq. Stanhope said that Australia "has an obligation not to cut and run", adding: "I believe that as things stand, our contribution to the rebuilding of Iraq is verging on the derisory. It is a token contribution and I would have no qualms at all if the Australian government were to shoulder a greater share of the burden of securing and rebuilding Iraq."

Stanhope's views were strongly criticised by Mohammed Berjaoui from the Canberra Islamic Centre said that the US-led occupation was the cause of the violence in Iraq, not the solution. "You can't have peace without justice and the occupation is unjust", said Berjaoui.

James Crafti

From Green Left Weekly, September 21, 2005.

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From GLW issue 643