Events have moved very fast since the bombing of the Syrian air force base, al-Shayran. IPAN (Independent & Peaceful Australia Network) media released a statement early Friday evening 8 April, within hours of US commencing their bombing attack on Syria. News just in reports that several U.S. war ships are moving towards North Korea. Pine Gap military intelligence base just outside Alice Springs is reportedly on standby as US escalates tensions with North Korea. Australian media reported that the US has notified Australia that it is prepared to shoot down any missiles launched, potentially putting the Central Australian US spy base in the firing line as a target in the event of a major conflict. The situation is very dangerous, with the US positioning for a potential world war.
Latest on the public statement, Keep Australia out of U.S. wars – a public call for an independent and peaceful Australian foreign policy
To date over 200 signatures have been collected, including from John Pilger, Richard Butler (WMD-Iraq fame), Paddy Crumlin (MUA National Secretary), lawyers, barristers, unionists and many others.
An on-line “petition” of the statement will be released early this week on Facebook.
A public call for an independent and peaceful Australian foreign policy
The Independent and Peaceful Australia (IPAN) and its affiliates are seeking your support in collecting signatures for a public statement to keep Australia out of US wars. The statement will be circulated widely nationally, inviting people to sign and promote the call for an independent and peaceful Australian foreign policy.
John Pilger, the world re-knowned Australian journalist and film maker has already signed the statement, as have others.
It is planned for the statement to be published as an advertisement in mainstream media, once we have collected sufficient funds to cover advertising costs.
The statement will also be widely circulated on social media, on-line journals and independent news outlets.
Presently the international situation is looking dangerous and we urgently ask for your support and involvement in this important campaign by:
1.Signing the statement
2.Promoting and circulating the statement widely to your friends,family and workmates,inviting them to sign and circulate it widely for more signatures. The attached statement is in jpeg and pdf formats for posting on Facebook page, journals, newsletters, etc.
3.We request a donation to help pay the costs of publishing this statement as an advertisement in mainstream media outlets.Whatever you can afford will be greatly appreciated.Thank you.
Signed hard copy statements can be sent to one of the IPAN state co-ordinators (details on attached statement), or you can reply via email either to me, or ipan.australia@gmail.com. You can also phone the state co-ordinators in your state (details below) .
Please consider supporting this important campaign for building a broad based people’s movement for genuine and just peace, opposition to US aggressive wars, and an independent and peaceful Australian foreign policy.
A Public Call for:
An Independent and Peaceful Australian Foreign Policy
We the undersigned are deeply concerned with the growing threat of another major world war. We are alarmed that as a compliant ally of the US, Australia will be dragged into another US provoked war with devastating consequences for people and the environment.
Australia hosts thousands of US marines in Darwin and conducts joint military exercises in Qld. with tens of thousands of US troops. Australia hosts the giant US spy base at Pine Gap, near Alice Springs, used by the US for its targeting of assassination drones and for gathering intelligence for use in wars. The North West Cape base in West Australia sends critical messages to US nuclear-armed submarines, and is heavily involved in space warfare. Australia is involved in US wars and military build ups in the Asia-Pacific, the Middle East and Eastern Europe. In none of these wars has the invaded country been a threat to Australia or the Australian people. In the international forums Australia echoes US policies opposing Nuclear Disarmament.
We believe Australia’s military alliance with the US, involving the complicity of successive Australian governments in US global military agendas, undermines Australia’s peace, security and sovereignty.
We demand the Australian government stops spending millions of dollars of people’s taxes on US wars, buying their offensive military equipment (eg. F35 Joint Strike Fighters and killer drones) and hosting marines in Darwin. We call on the government to re-direct public funds to public health, education, community services, developing sustainable manufacturing industries and protection of the environment.
It is time we the people asserted our sovereignty, took control of our foreign policies and reviewed the presence of US bases and troops in Australia. It is time we started promoting genuine peace and security, human rights, a sustainable environment and our independence.
Name…………………………………………………………………………………. (State)…….
Organisation…………………………………………………………………………………………
Email……………………………………………………………………………Phone:……………
Please make a donation and help us publish this important statement in major media outlets. Donation details on the back page of attached statement. Thank you for your support.
Signed hard copy statements should be sent to one of the IPAN state addresses: Qld, P.O. Box 573 Qld. 4151; NSW, P.O. Box A899, Sydney South, NSW 1235; VIC. Suite 20, 54 Victoria st, Carlton, Vic. 3053; or email to: ipan.australia@gmail.com
Independent and Peaceful Australia Network
Keep Australia Out of US Wars ‐ funding for the public statement advertisement
Generous donations will help cover the high cost of advertisements
and widely publicise this urgent call to Keep Australia Out of US wars.
Payments should be made to:
(a) Cheques may be sent to Treasurer, P.O. 573 Qld. 4151
(b) Bank transfers to IPAN Account: BSB: 814 282, Account: 50546137
(c) Cash – please contact an IPAN state coordinator in your state (contacts list below)
A receipt will be issued on request.
Please include your full name.
If you’d like to find out more about IPAN’s statement and raising funds to publish it as an
advertisement, please contact the following IPAN state co‐ordinators in your state.
DARWIN ‐ 0424028741
QUEENSLAND ‐ 0431597256 or 0408782983
NT/Alice Springs ‐ 0403611815
ACT – Canberra ‐ 0417269984
NSW ‐ 0418697528 or 0420526929
VICTORIA ‐ 0417456001 or 0414352542
SOUTH AUSTRALIA ‐ 08 73298542
WEST AUSTRALIA ‐ 0427708180
IPAN Information and Contact details:
www.ipan.org.au; email: ipan.australia@gmail.com; Facebook