In March of 2003, Howard said that neither the liberation of the Iraqi people nor regime change could justify an invasion of Iraq. Given that 75% of Australians opposed the war and millions marched against it, the question still remains as to why he got involved in this invasion. There is absolutely no evidence of weapons of mass destruction, nor any proof that Iraq was supporting Al-Qaeda. The only lesson of Iraq is that the attack by the US, Britain and Australia was a greater, act of terrorism than the attack on the Twin Towers on September 11, 2001.

By all standards, we must consider the invasion of Iraq a failure. An occupied Iraq serves as a beacon around the world - a constant reminder of the criminal nature of the attack and the abominable and murderous intent of the US, British and Australian regimes. The attack has only served to unify radical Islamic groups throughout the world at the expense of moderate Muslims who genuinely want democracy and reform. The US has humiliated itself by being bogged down in Iraq trying to restore security, and the country remains on the verge of civil war. In attacking Iraq the US has shown itself to be more brutal than even Saddam. Despite US attempts to show the bravery of its soldiers, there is no doubt that there can be no glory in a war where most of those killed were women and children. Their only option now is to “cut and run” after the June 30 handover.

Last month, Australia marked the March 20 anniversary of the war with a media blackout. Front page headlines in papers throughout Australia featured photos of Usama bin Laden and Ayman Al-Zawahiri. Confusion reigned as Australians were barraged with messages and images of fear and terrorism. There was little mention of Iraq. Predictably, 90% of what was printed was from US journalists based in Washington and the rest was US propaganda disguised as editorial claiming the war was justified. The fact that the Australian media outlets continues to discredit itself by putting forward so many claims that have proved to be lies and deceptions shows total ignorance of the reasons behind the invasion, the reality of the situation in Iraq and the poor prospects for peace and democracy.

Thousands marched throughout Australia in protest of the continued occupation, yet the media did not show or report on any of the marches. Major Australian newspapers did not print even one photo of demonstrations in Australian capital cities - hardly surprising, given that most are owned by Rupert Murdoch, who also owns Fox news and was one of those who led the propaganda war. In America. President Bush has recently placed over $50million in advertizing to continue the lies.

In Adelaide, I was fortunate enough to attend an anti-war rally with about 500 others to listen to Andrew Wilke speak. Mr. Wilke was the Australian intelligence officer who quit before the war and “blew the whistle” on John Howard’s deception and misuse of intelligence information. Australian intelligence agencies showed there was no case for war and Mr. Wilke put us up to date with current enquiries into the war. There was, however, a general disappointment with efforts to make John Howard and his government accountable, and he expressed outrage at comments by foreign minister Alexander Downer who was continuing to mislead the public by focusing on Saddam’s atrocities of the 1980s, which had nothing to do with the reality of the threat he posed in 2003.

John Howard’s continued support of the war has increasingly made not only him, but also the Australian troops and people a target. Australians feel even more vulnerable and much less comfortable. Many do not trust their politicians and certainly do not trust their intelligence agencies or the government efforts at security despite the fact that hundreds of millions of dollars are being spent. It is hard for the government to convince people that Australia is safe from terrorism when it continues to run campaigns of fear. On all accounts, John Howard’s credibility has been shot.

Given that he has misled and lied to the Australian public on so many occasions, it is impossible to believe anything he says.

Foreign minister Alexander Downer said that “how long Australian troops would remain in Iraq was unknown. They will remain there for some time yet.” Australia’s contribution to the coalition, known as Operation Falconer, has involved about 2000 defense force personnel. Many of these soldiers returned to Australia after the invasion in May and June 2003. John Howard has said that about 900 troops remain there.

Until now, John Howard and his government have done better at keeping a low profile than their partners in the coalition of the willing. Australia has not had to watch the string of returning body bags and wounded soldiers. He pulled out most of the troops as soon as the easy bit - the bombing - was over. And because most of the flawed intelligence came from British and American sources, he has managed to duck the blame for taking part in the war on false pretences. But now that Iraqi fighters have decided to target Australian occupation troops, things may change.

To my mind there are still a number of issues that have not been addressed. Firstly, if Saddam is to be put on trial, then US administrators who supported him during his greatest atrocities must also be held accountable. Secondly, the UN must also be investigated for the deaths of over 500,000 children as a result of US-backed sanctions (what happened to the $56billion from the food for oil program?). Thirdly, Iraqis must show caution at the June 30 handover as the US may try to profit from international loans. These loans should only go to Iraqi companies. And finally, there is the issue of compensation - given that Libya paid $2billion to about 200 victims of the Lockerbie disaster, the United States should pay for the death of Iraqi civilians at the hands of US forces!

On a separate note, I would like to condemn the assassination of Sheik Ahmed Yassin. In killing the Hamas spiritual leader, who was a quadriplegic confined to a wheelchair, Ariel Sharon and the Israeli government have stooped to new levels of depravity. Similarly, the killing of Abdel Aziz Rantizi should be condemned. It is a disgrace that John Howard also supported the US and Israel on this issue. In Australia there are about 50,000 Israelis. In contrast there are about 200,000 from surrounding regions of the Middle East.

Given the nature of our present alliances and the atrocities being committed by the coalition, decent Australians must re-think their position and ideas about whose side we should be on.