‘Serial war criminal Bush must be stopped’

[Socialist Alliance media release Thursday, January 11, 2007]

US President George Bush’s decision to escalate the war of occupation in Iraq by sending in another 21,500 US troops is “the desperate act of a serial war criminal”, said Ms Pip Hinman, Socialist Alliance anti-war spokesperson today at a rally in Sydney marking the fifth anniversary of the US detention camp in Guantanamo Bay.

The rally also called on the Howard government to demand the release of David Hicks, the only Australian remaining at the prison camp.

“Just over a week into 2007 and the US has committed two new war crimes: an escalation of the illegal war in Iraq and the illegal air attacks on Somalia in support of the US-backed Ethiopian invasion to hand that country back to murderous warlords.

“This alone makes him a serial war criminal.”

Ms Hinman added that PM John Howard’s all-the-way-with-Bush approach makes him and his Attorney-General Philip Ruddock war criminals too.

“They have the blood of more than 655,000 Iraqi people on their hands, most of whom are innocent civilians”, she said.

“The US and all other occupying powers, including Australia, should immediately and unconditionally withdraw their troops from Iraq and Afghanistan and pay reparations for the horrendous death and destruction they have caused.

“The US detention and torture camp at Guantanamo should be closed immediately and all those detained there without trial, including David Hicks, should be immediately released.

“Then George Bush, John Howard, Tony Blair and their partners-in-crime should be brought before an international war crimes tribunal to answer for their monstrous actions.”

Ms Hinman, a leading anti-war activist with the Sydney Stop the War Coalition, said that President Bush can expect large and angry demonstrations when he comes to Australia later this year for the APEC summit in Sydney.

“The anti-war movement is organising a protest convergence on Sydney and there will be days of protest. Bush, the world’s No. 1 terrorist and war criminal is not welcome here!”