A Letter From my Neighbour - Dr Bill Anderson 23 March 2003

Dear Tim,

Hello. Thanks for the email. It seems odd to be emailing someone who lives a
few doors away! It seems even odder to be referred to as a "Hawk" - never,
ever, not even in my worst nightmare, have I supported the "Hawks" - I
support Essendon - who by an odd quirk are, as you know, nicknamed "The
Bombers"!

My position on military intervention to overthrow the Iraqi regime is really
straightforward. As a lifelong Socialist I have always totally opposed
fascism in all its forms - I am thus opposed to Islamo-Fascism. In my
reading the Iraqi regime has unleashed violence and terror on the Iraqi
people, on neighbouring states and on Israel for decades and I support any
effort to overthrow the regime.

When Iraq invaded Kuwait and was defeated and expelled it signed a peace
treaty which promised that it would disarm - it has clearly reneged on this
legal obligation. The regime even attempted to build a Nuclear Power plant -
which would have enabled it to develop nuclear weapons - the French supplied
the power plant - fortunately the Israeli's bombed the plant before it
became fully operational.

Four years ago the regime expelled the arms inspectors and only allowed them
to return when America and the UK massed their forces on Iraq's border.
Without the threat of military intervention the regime would never have
allowed the inspectors to return.

The connection between the Iraqi regime and international terrorism is
proven. It is a matter of public record that the regime awards $25,000
American dollars to the families of Palestinian suicide bombers - this is an
act of war against the only democracy in the whole region.

In brief as a Socialist I believe - and have always believed - that Fascism
must be opposed, by force if necessary. If I lived under a regime like the
one headed by Saddam Hussein I would welcome intervention to liberate my
country.

I would note that I am not entirely alone as a leftist who supports armed
intervention to overthrow the Iraqi regime - Ramos Horta and other figures
from what might be called the "old left" have publicly supported armed
intervention. I would also note that Bob Brown the Greens leader (the party
to which I now belong) has stated that the question of intervention in Iraq
is not a simple black and white issue" and that although he opposes the war
he thinks that Saddam is a "bastard and the world would be a better place
without him..."

Enough already...

You may attach the above to your website or whatever,

Cheers,

Bill