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Australian Military Refuses To Disclose Arms Deal With Israel To Protect Its "Reputation" by Ms Caitlin Johnstone!
(2024-04-08 at 23:37:27 )
Australian Military Refuses To Disclose Arms Deal With Israel To Protect Its "Reputation" by Ms Caitlin Johnstone!
Listen to a reading of this article (reading by Tim Foley):
Australias Defence Department has refused a Freedom of Information request about the details of an arms deal with Israel on the grounds that such information "could harm Australias international standing and reputation," which suggests the details must be pretty damning. Equally as scandalous, this refusal was reportedly made in consultation with the Israeli government.
In an article titled "Details of defence deal with Israel kept under wraps to protect Australias "reputation"," the ABCs Andrew Greene details how the Australian military snubbed a Freedom of Information request by the Australian Greens regarding a "Memorandum of Understanding" between Australia and Israel that was signed in 2017.
"The document within the scope of this request contains information which, if released, could reasonably be expected to damage the international relations of the Commonwealth," the Defence Department said in a letter explaining its rejection.
Details of defence deal with Israel kept under wraps to protect Australias "reputation"
"There is no place for secret arms treaties and secret arms deals between countries,"#auspol "please see here:"-AWPR (WarPowersReform) April 9, 2024
"A summary provided by the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) to the Greens reveals that the Israeli government was also consulted about releasing the document before Defence ultimately rejected the FOI request," the ABC reports.
"The document contains information communicated to Australia by a foreign government and its officials under the expectation that it would not be disclosed," a Defence official wrote in justification of its decision.
Greens senator David Shoebridge objected, saying "There is no place for secret arms treaties and secret arms deals between countries, and there is certainly no place for giving other countries veto power over what the Australian government tells the public about our governments defence and arms deals."
"Over 30,000 people have been killed by the State of Israel in Gaza in the past six months. In this context, the Australian public has a right to know about the military trade relationship with the State of Israel," added Shoebridge.
Australia has a secret defence industry cooperation deal with Israel and you are not allowed to know what is in it because apparently Israel has a veto on Australian FOI!?
Why, and what, are they hiding? "please see here:"-David Shoebridge (DavidShoebridge) April 8, 2024
It is wild to think about the fact that the Australian warmakers determined this admission, that the truth would harm Australias reputation, to be the option that was least destructive to Australias reputation.
When someone tells you "I can not tell you the truth about that because the truth will make everyone dislike me," it means they have ruled out every other option before coming to that position because the truth really is that ugly.
It is like coming home to find your husband frantically burning clothes and mopping up blood and asking him what is going on, and he says "I can not tell you because the truth would harm your opinion of me." Your very first thought after that is going to be that he must have done something very, very bad if that is the best answer he could give you.
Back in November lawyer and researcher Kelly Trantner published an article with Declassified Australia titled "Australias role in the bombing of Gaza" about Israels use of Australian equipment to conduct its F-35 bombing campaigns, writing that "no bombs could be dropped on Gaza by an F-35 without parts manufactured for the F-35s by Melbourne company, Rosebank Engineering."
Trantner notes that more than 70 Australian companies have been awarded "over $4.13 billion in global production and sustainment contracts through the F-35 program to date." Since the writing of Trantners piece, during Israels active genocide in Gaza, the Australian Army has drawn controversy by awarding a billion-dollar contract to Israeli arms manufacturer Elbit Systems.
"Australias complete integration into the F-35 global supply chain means that every jet that flies has many Australian parts. And countries using them,like Israel, depend on the replenishment of those parts as needed"#Gaza #CeasefireNowInGaza #auspol "please see here:"-KellieTranter (KellieTranter) November 17, 2023
As we have discussed many times, Australia is functionally a military and intelligence asset of the same United States-centralized empire as Israel.
We are currently falling all over ourselves helping the United States prepare for a future war with China, and we have been providing logistical support for the United States and United Kingdom bombing campaign against Ansarallah in Yemen.
If all the violence and chaos we are seeing in the middle east leads to the United States committing to a direct full-scale war in the region, we may be absolutely certain that Canberra will march us into that one as well.
All while the empire cages an Australian journalist in a maximum security prison for exposing its war crimes.
Australia, like Israel, is not a real country. Like Israel, Australia is nothing other than a settler-colonialist outpost of western imperialism built on genocide, ethnic cleansing and theft, and now operates in a way that is inseparable from the United States war machine. This land will never know peace or justice until we have extricated ourselves from the talons of the empire.
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Ah, the Buddha Ms Caitlin speaks the truth!!! - Cousin Lucky