We recently saw Trump pardon four Blackwater security guards who killed numerous Iraqi civilians.[1] In gratitude for the Australian government’s mindless support of the US-Australian alliance, Prime Minister Scott Morrison was repaid with an American military decoration for “leadership in addressing global challenges”[2] which underlines the hypocrisy of US foreign policy, as Morrison has been missing in action during recent Australian crises[3] but not missing so much that he was unable to help out his mates in the gas and coal industry[4].
It illustrates how the US is unaccountable for its actions, because it refuses to acknowledge the International Criminal Court. On September 16 2007 Blackwater security contractors escorting a US military convoy in Nissour Square, Baghdad, Iraq, “escalated the force to defend themselves”[5] by opening fire on civilians, killing 17 and injuring 20. Just two months earlier and 16 kilometres away, two US AH-64 Apache helicopters launched a series of airstrikes which killed 12-18 civilians including 2 Reuters war correspondents, the footage of which was released on Wikileaks entitled “Collateral Murder”. Originally denied by the US Government, it was only admitted to after it was exposed on Wikileaks – even if there might be a reason, or an apology to be made, the US has form in terms of denial and cover-up. This further serves to reinforce the worth of Wikileaks in holding Government abuse to account.
To be sure, it was the own processes of the US Government that found the original claims of self-defence by the Blackwater security guards were not valid, where they ultimately ended up charged and in prison. Nevertheless, this one trace of justice has now been lost, as the result of the whims of a US President who has through inaction managed to kill hundreds of thousands of people amongst close to 20 million cases of Covid-19 during his term.
Our own Government has its own dubious record – of failing to support Julian Assange, of doing the dirty on East Timor and hanging out Witness K and Bernard Collaery to dry. Our support of the US is about cosying up to the powerful in the hope they will do us favours; our foreign policy is rarely informed by principle.
As a result of our experience and background, Pirate Party Australia is uniquely equipped to shine a spotlight on Government foreign policy and other abuses that have grown to form part and parcel of a hypocrisy that infests pretty much all our foreign policy.
We are a unique voice on the Australian political landscape. Join us today and vote Pirate next federal election!
[1] https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/trump-s-pardon-blackwater-contractors-convicted-massacre-greeted-derision-grief-n1252224
[2] https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/donald-trump-awards-scott-morrison-with-one-of-the-highest-military-honours-20201222-p56pmb.html
[3] https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8508917/Scott-Morrison-going-family-holiday-disastrous-Hawaiian-holiday-bushfires.html
[4] https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2020/jul/30/australian-pms-department-refuses-to-release-covid-19-commission-documents
[5] https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/09/16/AR2007091601062.html