Military action against Iran a catastrophe, say Aust Peace Groups: Govt Must say 'NO' to military plans

Australian peace and environment groups, following the report of a coalition of peace groups and think - tanks to the UK government, predict that an attack on Iran will be a catastrophe.

February 11, 2007

FRIENDS OF THE EARTH AUSTRALIA
PEOPLE FOR NUCLEAR DISARMAMENT- W.A.
MARRICKVILLE PEACE GROUP
AUSTRALIAN PEACE COMMITTEE
CAMPAIGN FOR INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION AND DISARMAMENT

Almost as catastrophic as an actual attack, according to the groups, would be talking about or preparing for, military action. The military option, say the groups, must be clearly, visibly, and unambiguously taken off the table. The entire nature of the relationship with Iran must be transformed.

Military action against Iran, if it consisted of 'surgical' strikes against Iranian nuclear installations, will simply ensure the defeat of that faction in Iran that believes that nuclear weapons are unislamic. Predictably, it will create a nuclear weapons program if Iran did not have one before, and accelerate the acquisition of nuclear weapons by Iran if Iran already has a program.

According to the peace groups:

"Attacking Iran will achieve exactly the opposite of what we say we want to achieve. We wish to ensure that Iran does not develop nuclear weapons. At present, the Iranian government insists that it does not wish to develop nuclear weapons. A religious Fatwa exists according to which nuclear weapons are unislamic. Attacks on Iran will transform an ambiguous nuclear program that gives Iran a 'breakout' capability, into an unambiguous crash program to obtain nuclear weapons by any means possible." "An invasion of Iran would be an even more colossal catastrophe, bogging the invader down forever in an ever - expanding middle eastern quagmire in which the only way out is to allow the victory of the most extreme and violent factions."

"Still more worrying are suggestions that nuclear weapons might actually be used against Iran either by Israel or by the US. The use of nuclear weapons would break the 'taboo' against their use, in particular against a non- nuclear -armed opponent, that has existed rightly since 1945. The world would never be the same after such an event. It would represent a diabolical watershed of far deeper significance than 911 ever did."

"The Australian government must make it clear to its great and powerful ally that it regards talk of military action against Iran as folly of the highest and most utterly irresponsible order."

Contact: John Hallam FOE-Australia H61-2-9810-2598(leave message) , 61-2-9319-4296 (Do not leave message) Sue Gilbey Australian Peace Committee 0411-413-122 08-8410-0303 Pauline Mitchell CICD 03-9663-3677 03-9555-3076 Joe Valentine PND-WA, 08-9272-4252 Nick Deane Marrickville Peace Group 0420 526 929