Posted on 8-4-2003

Australian Military Blocked In Sydney

Sydney/Auckland, Tuesday, April 8, 2003: Greenpeace activists, including
three New Zealanders, this morning blocked an Australian naval vessel, HMAS
Sydney, departing for Iraq.

A flotilla of yachts, small craft and kayakers, along with swimmers and
divers blocked the ship’s route out of Sydney Harbour as a protest against
Australia’s partcipation in this and future US-led wars. ”Greenpeace is
deeply concerned about the precedent this war sets internationally. Will
New Zealand and Australian troops be asked to commit to more pre-emptive
wars led by the US?”, said Steve Abel Greenpeace New Zealand campaigner.
“Prime Minister Helen Clark has rightly refused to support this illegal
US-led war. Will future New Zealand governments accede to US requests to
attack Syria, North Korea or Iran? Australia should not commit any more
troops to war in Iraq or support more US wars of aggression.”

Former Director of the CIA, a possible candidate to administer post-war
Iraq, James Woolsey, publicly stated (2 April) that this is the beginning
of World War IV and advocated ‘regime change’ in Iran and Syria. [1]

William Kristol, Chairman of the US ‘think-tank’ behind US Foreign Policy,
the ‘Project for a New American Century’, of which US Secretary of Defence,
Donald Rumsfeld, Dick Cheney and Paul Wolfowitz have been members, speaks
of the Bush Administration ‘…enshrining in official policy the tactic of
military pre-emption, the objective of regime change, and the vision of
American Power that is fully engaged and never apologetic…’ [2] ‘It is
clear the US Government is rewriting the rules of international affairs
based on the exertion of US military power. This is a turning point in
world affairs - all democratic and peace-seeking countries should be
alarmed at this new direction”, said Mr Abel.

For more information and interviews with activists in Sydney phone;
Communications Officer Dean Baigent-Mercer 021 790817 or Campaigner Steve
Abel 021 565175

[1] www.cnn.com/2003/US/04/03/sprj.irq.woolsey.world.war/

[2] Saddam’s Tyranny and America’s Mission. Kaplan, Kristol. 2003
www.newamericancentury.org/publicationsreports.htm