...One of six US soldiers charged with crimes against prisoners has been convicted...

One of six US soldiers charged with crimes against prisoners has been convicted. Imprisonment for 12 months was ordered, his rank reduced to private and he will be discharged. It has been revealed that his sentence was as a result of a plea bargain on his undertaking to give evidence against other accused. If his evidence against the others is judged satisfactory, his penalty can be reduced and even entirely cancelled. It also appeared at his trial that it was claimed the soldiers were following orders and that printed instructions containing orders about interrogation which breached international law were displayed on prison walls. The US is desperately trying to defend its officers. Look out for more revelations.

Donald Rumsfeld has admitted to Congress that he knew months ago that crimes of this sort were being committed but he failed to report the matter to Bush or Congress and, more importantly, failed to put a stop to them. US newspapers, largely circulating in the army, have called for his sacking. Bush still assures his support.

...A little more than a year ago, George Bush announced that the war was over...

The huge amount of press attention to this matter has led to the obscuring of another matter of equal importance. A little more than a year ago, George Bush announced that the war was over and that "Iraq will be free, democratic and independent from as soon as the transfer of sovereignty is complete on June 30, 2004". He has now announced that there is to be a change. The US will have control of Iraq security (and Howard immediately says that Australian troops will be there longer than announced).

Obviously the new government will not have sovereign power while the US controlled forces remain. Will the new government be able to revoke order 39 made by Paul Bremer head of the US Coalition Provisional Authority? This Order privatised 200 Iraqi state companies; decreed that foreign firms can retain 100% ownership of Iraqi banks, mines and factories; and can move 100% of their profits out of Iraq (as reported in our last issue). In any event it means no democracy for Iraq. But since then there have been further developments. It has now been stated quite publicly by Bremer and by Colin Powell that the US will withdraw all forces from Iraq after July 1 if requested by the Iraqi provisional government to do so.

...There are many indications that opposition to the US occupation is growing...

There are many indications that opposition to the US occupation is growing. The recent outright revolt in Fallujah illustrates the position. The US army tried to destroy the insurgents; they were unable to do so and eventually withdrew. They have now put an army officer into Fallujah to try to solve the problem-to get the Sunni to accept the US presence. Guess who? An officer from Saddam Hussein's army!

It has also been reported that there is so much violence in the country against the US presence and that many of the foreign companies that have been given contracts by Bremer to rebuild what has been smashed up, have withdrawn from the job.

But it may well be thought that the most significant evidence of the growing Iraqi opposition to the invasion is the recent killing by insurgents of Izzadine Saleem, the president of the Iraqi governing council, established by the US to advise on the setting up of the provisional government on June 30. And to that can be added the fact that many more US soldiers have been killed since Bush announced the war ended than were killed in the war (and even still more injured).

Finally, can you still remember the reason advanced by Bush and his top officials for the war (and by Blair and Howard)? Weapons of mass destruction. It is clear that Iraq has none and Colin Powell has now

publicly admitted that the main argument that he put to the Security Council in support of Iraq's possession of WMDs turns out to be false, based on deliberately false intelligence.

This invasion of Iraq was, and is, a breach of international law. It also was a deliberate breaching of the Charter of the United Nations Organisation, which is specifically approved by an Act of our Federal Parliament (Act No. 32 1945), and was also approved by US congress. Equally important, it is an offence against the rights of the mainly Muslim people of Iraq, deeply resented by other Muslims, and plays into the hands of terrorists, thereby increasing the threat of terrorism in Australia. Howard has damaged Australian interests by joining the totally illegal United States' invasion of Iraq.

Meanwhile the misery of Palestine continues.

The arrogance, ignorance and insensitivity shown by US forces against the Iraqis is paralleled by the US lack of sympathy for, or understanding of, the plight of the Palestinians and its support for Israel's brutal, oppressive and dehumanising. military occupation of Palestine.

...Howard has damaged Australian interests by joining the totally illegal US invasion of Iraq. Meanwhile the misery of Palestine continues...

Israel has now confiscated 24 per cent of the area of the West Bank and Gaza and 89 per cent of East Jerusalem. Israel's human rights violations are systemic and endless. Israeli tyranny has reduced the Palestinians' daily life to misery and humiliation.

In the latest atrocity on May 19, 2004 , Israeli forces fired on some 2,000 unarmed Palestinians who were peacefully demonstrating in Rafah to protest the ongoing Israeli invasion of the adjoining Rafah refugee camp which has resulted in over 40 deaths, hundreds wounded, and over 1,000 Palestinians made homeless as Israeli bulldozers demolished their homes in front of their eyes. At least ten of the marchers, are confirmed dead and least 50 others were wounded.

Sharon's recent proposed withdrawal from the Gaza Strip would vacate some 7,500 settlers who occupy 40 per cent of Gaza's land. But in return he would perpetuate Israel's illegal occupation of 300 settlements in the West Bank, with a population of 400,000. This would prevent for ever the emergence of a sovereign Palestinian state.

The Howard government in line with its "all the way with the USA" policy has voiced no protest about the plight of Palestine. We must all protest and push for massive international condemnation of Israel if the rape of Palestine and the dreadful suicide bombers' response is to be halted.