- The resignation of a senior intelligence analyst in protest
at Australia's role in a looming war has created a new wave of criticism
over the federal government's position on Iraq.
-
- Senior analyst Andrew Wilkie resigned from the Office
of National Assessments (ONA) on Tuesday, pre-empting a report in the Bulletin
in which he takes a swipe at the federal government's justification for
war.
-
- It comes ahead of Prime Minister John Howard's address
to the National Press Club on Wednesday, where he will argue it is in Australia's
national interest to disarm Iraq.
-
- Mr Wilkie said a war against Iraq was unjustified and
bad policy.
-
- He said Australia was not being made privy to all the
information on Iraq available to the US.
-
- "It troubles me that Australia has adopted a position,
a very strong position, based on incomplete information," Mr Wilkie,
a former army officer, told the Bulletin.
-
- "We do not have unrestricted access to all US information
on this matter."
-
- The Australian Greens and the Australian Democrats warned
the latest criticism of government policy left Mr Howard increasingly isolated
from the prevailing public view over a war in Iraq.
-
- Greens Senator Bob Brown said Mr Howard still had the
opportunity to extricate Australia from an historically serious mistake.
-
- "It shows that he's not only not listening to the
Australian people, he's out of touch with important advice coming to his
own government," he said.
-
- Democrats leader Andrew Bartlett said Mr Wilkie's resignation
was the latest sign that there were no credible supporters of Australia
joining a war against Iraq.
-
- "Mr Howard has shown he won't listen to the general
Australian public, but he is also ignoring a host of experts who are telling
him his approach is bad policy and against Australia's interests,"
he said.
-
- ONA directly advises Mr Howard on international issues
of importance to Australia.
-
- http://www.optusnet.com.au/news/story/aap/20030312/07/domestic/iraq-aust-fed.inp
|
