Stuck on stupid

This is the text of a media statement released by the Leader of the Opposition, Simon Crean, on September 13, 2002:

'Last night, President Bush set out, in clear and compelling terms, Iraq's persistent breaches of UN Security Council resolutions since 1991. These include Iraq's continuing failure to comply with resolutions relating to:

the possession and development of weapons of mass destruction;
the repression of the Iraqi people and minorities within Iraq;
the refusal to account for Gulf War prisoners; and
the circumvention of economic sanctions and the impeding of the 'Oil-for-Food' program.'

Today, ALP SWAT Womble Kevin Rudd, Media Statement - 15th December 2005

'US President George W Bush today accepted responsibility for the false intelligence on which he took his country to war, leaving John Howard as the only Coalition of the Willing leader too arrogant to accept responsibility. President Bush said: "It is true that much of the intelligence turned out to be wrong. As president I am responsible for the decision to go into Iraq."

By contrast John Howard has never apologised for taking Australia to war on a lie.'

Should Howard apologise to the Iraqi people, who yesterday turned out in the millions to elect their new government, for assisting them in their moves towards democracy? Rudd thinks so. Here's the weasel back in 2002. This is the text of a statement released by Kevin Rudd, the ALP Shadow Minister for Foreign Affairs, on September 13, 2002.

'The fundamental significance of the President's speech is that it underlines the fact that the US Administration has now decided to make recourse to the United Nations Security Council on the next steps with Iraq. The Federal Opposition welcomes this decision by the United States and congratulates President Bush for making it – as well as others in the international community such as Prime Minister Blair for their critical role in bringing the decision about.

The exhaustion of UN processes has been a part the Federal Opposition's policy on Iraq since we formally adopted it on 22 April 2002.'

The ALP were only too willing to censure Iraq through the 90's and early 00's, but when push came to shove, the ALP flinched. The vaunted UN processes failed. A UN Security Council hampered by permanent vetoes prevented the concerted efforts of countries willing and able to solve the Iraq issue. With thanks to Rudd and his ilk around the world, the hand-wringers, the apologists, the appeasers.

Iraq thanks the ALP. For nothing.

Cross posted@ Bastards Inc.

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