Toxic SAS

Support McBride – It’s About Exposing War Crimes

McBride actions… Protect Whistleblowers – Defend Democracy

Whistleblowers expose War Crimes. Third gathering outside the Supreme Court 18th July 2019

Person with tape over his mouth saying Truth Speaks, with banner "Drop the prosecutions of Witness K and Bernard Coleary - A travesty of justice and democracy!" — We wore tape over our mouths. Truth Speaks, with banner “Drop the prosecutions of Witness K and Bernard Coleary – A travesty of justice and democracy!”

We had fun painting the banner – Cate, Lorese and Lesley – with cake.

David McBride addressed the crowd

“(It’s not to do with my case)… in Syria – I think it was Amnesty International worked out that the coalition declared we killed 100 civilians in a particular bombing action, and it turned out we had actually killed 1,100 … They achieved this by reclassifying the definition of civilians… by saying anyone above 16 and below 60 is not a civilian, they’re a combatant. And that’s sickening. And that’s us, that’s not the enemy, that’s us.

And without people like you [protesters], we will become the bad guys.”

Alex White from Unions ACT

“The attacks on whistleblowers are an attack on democracy and all of us. Solidarity with David McBride in the Supreme Court today.

Governments and power holders need to be held accountable.”

Tim Hollow (on the left holding the banner) from the Green Institute spoke:

“The essence of democracy is being able to dissent, safely, constructively, loudly, if necessary. And when those in power start taking away our right to dissent, our democracy is in trouble.

When those in power are raiding media offices in a way clearly designed to provoke fear and suppress critical coverage;
When those in power are delegitimising advocacy by civil society groups, attacking charities and unions and campaigning organisations;
When those in power are criminalising protest, hugely increasing sanctions for non-violent civil disobedience;
When those in power are threatening whistleblowers with multiple Lifetimes in jail, we know our democracy is in real trouble.”

Sue Wareham: Medical Association for Prevention of War (MAPW) and International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN)

“According to the Nuremberg trials; to initiate war of aggression is the supreme international crime; and yet our PM is set to ask Trump not ‘how can we prevent a war in Iran’, but ‘How can we assist in a war in Iran?'”

“Terrible things happen in the course of war because warfare is more or less a platform for human rights abuses and we shouldn’t be surprised by that. But perhaps if the veil of secrecy over what happens in wartime – in our name – if that veil of secrecy is lifted – and if we know more about what is done in our name, then perhaps we’d think more carefully before we keep sending our troops, again and again and again – to battle.”

Ongoing Support for McBride – Exposing War Crimes cannot be a crime

Speak Out! Drop the prosecutions! This is not Justice!

#ProsecuteWarCrimes NOT #Whistleblowers

Thanks to those of you who joined us on the 27th June. It was a great gathering with lots of interesting speakers, and it got our protest in the news, with our banner – Protect Whistleblowers, Defend Democracy.

Special thanks to Kathryn Kelly and IPAN for inviting many organisations and arranging the speakers.

David McBride is before the Supreme Court again Thursday 11th of July. We will be there from 8:30am to support him. He exposed war crimes and the toxic culture that enables them.

Ongoing Support for McBride – Exposing War Crimes cannot be a crime (link to Facebook event)

July 2019: We will have tape over our mouths and hold banners representing the war crimes that the Government would rather have remained hidden.

We must protect whistleblowers – the people in power must be held accountable for their actions.

It is our democratic right to speak up when we see wrongdoing.

If you can’t be there in person please support us on Social Media.

Like, love and share photos and video from www.facebook.com/wagepeaceau

For updates see the Wage Peace Facebook event: Support McBride – Exposing War Crimes cannot be a crime Facebook event

#DefenceExports from Australia – weapons plus abuse

There’s no honour in exporting abuse.

Soldiers of the United Arab Emirates have conducted human rights abuses in Yemen. Australians from the SAS have been training them. And defence technology contracts are embedded in the training arrangements.

Many have already signed the petition to stop Australian #DefenceExports to governments that abuse. If you have signed, we ask that you SHARE it again now to your friends while this issue is alive.

Australians involved are from a #toxicSAS, accused of abusing people in Afghanistan. They are not only training “special forces” in UAE, but also in Indonesia, the Philippines and probably Cambodia. Sometimes it’s government to government [Indonesia]; sometimes via recruitment agency to dictatorship [UAE]. What does it mean to be ‘special’ forces anyway? Are they special because they are trained to abuse?

There is no honour in abuse or in weapons deals.
Abuse is abuse.

Feel free to share on your social media

The weapons arrangements are facilitated by close relationships. The generals of the failed Afghanistan war are, at best, turning a blind eye or, at worst, facilitating with meetings and assistance. Other generals are turning up on the boards of the arms dealers. Gen. Peter Leahy is on the board of Electro Optic Systems the Australian Stock Exchange listed weapons company nominated in the ABC articles. The generals use the authority they hold in relation to the #toxicSAS ‘trainers’ to push weapons into nations which, in turn, are abusing vulnerable people. First Nations people are always in most danger because it’s their land that is coveted: West Papua, Marawi, Yemen.

A false sense of being “honourable” binds them and bolsters them. Yet they are steeped in dishonour. ‘Honour’ facilitates their arms deals and self-centred career moves.

The Generals team up with [ex] politicians such as WA Labor’s Kate Lundy, on the board of the Australian weapons company EOS, or Kim Beazley – previously of Lockheed Martin Australia – now Governor WA. By being Labor, they make the corruption solidly #bipartisan.

Gen. Angus Campbell, Chief of Defence has relationships with these people: with Gen. Hindmarsh in UAE, Gen. Leahy at the weapons company EOS, former SAS officer turned MP Andrew Hastie and Ben Roberts-Smith. They are his peers. They are #NotHeroes.

And there are facilitating bureaucrats Pezzullo, the architect of Border Force who has been shepherding these arrangements since his involvement with Beazley in the 90s.

Simplify the Story

We need you to clarify and simplify the ABC story and keep it in front of people who may be moved to action.

Sign the petition to stop exports of Australian Arms and SAS abuse.

Share the petition on Facebook again now – with your own commentary.
Use the names of the generals involved. Bring them into the light. Challenge the myth of honour.
We suggest using social media plus direct action to circle around these generals, the arms dealer EOS and their bureaucrats. Under pressure, they make mistakes and are watched by the media. There is an easy interface on Twitter.
Post the links below.
Write or tweet to @RichardMarlesMP, Labor shadow defence portfolio and @SenatorWong who is on the #bipartisan security committee. Remind them of their responsibilities under the #ArmsTradeTreaty.
Share #Wage Peace graphics
Remind people that there is still no #ToxicSAS report, yet we are already exporting abuse.

Christopher Pyne - where is the #ToxicSAS report? — Feel free to share on your social media

Hashtags can clarify and simplify and link

#toxicSAS – to evoke the stories about the human rights abuses of the SAS.
#notDefence – to link to other pointless mega-projects [#scraptheF35] and challenge the notion that ‘defence’ budgets are untouchable. It’s not about ‘defence’, it’s usually about money, mates or self interest.
#notHeroes – to challenge the propaganda that these men are heroes.
#transparency – to link with the ‘transparency’ movement – people like Michael West trying to shed light on bureaucratic black holes.
#revolvingDoor – to highlight the way individuals move from politician, to lobbyist or from defence to defence acquisition managing tenders, to corporation project management and back to defence.
#WarProfiteers – to link with the global arms trade movement
#MakeWestPapuaSafe – to link to the specific campaign highlighting the use of AFP and#toxicSAS in training Kopassus against First Nations people.
#DefenceExports and #ArmsTreaty – are used by the international human rights network campaigning for control of weapons sales.

Share the petition on Facebook again now – make your own commentary.Sign the petition

Happy and safe Christmas.
Yours in peace, see you next year on the streets 🙂
Margaret Pestorius
for #WagePeace

References

Those of us working on the project are around the country and we invite you to play/volunteer with us. or donate!

Join this Briefing – Arms exports and the export of #toxicSAS abuse

WAGE PEACE BRIEFING

Many of us are concerned about Australian arms sales to the Saudis. But we want you to know that

1/ the US stopped fuelling Saudi war planes

2/ several European countries have stopped selling arms to the Saudis

3/ the Liberal party have dumped General Jim Molan – demoted to the bottom of the Senate ticket. YAY!!!

We would like to claim #PeakMilitarism – but we don’t think it’s quite so yet.

WAGE PEACE BRIEFING:
Arms sales and the export of #toxicSAS abuse: How are they linked?

Our guests are Darryl Bullen and Graeme Dunstan with Margie Pestorius

Join us (in an online Zoom meeting) Friday evening (RSVP Here)

Friday 14th December
6:00-7:30pm AEST, 5:00-6:30pm Qld time, 5:30-7:00 Central Australia time, 3:00-4:30pm WA time.

The #toxicSAS serving and alumni are currently known to be training in Indonesia, Marawi, UAE, Cambodia, and probably PNGThe briefing will cover the following

The United Arab Emirates [UAE] are involved in arms deals with @cpyne defence minister
The UAE are in Yemen embroiled in human rights abuses
The head of the UAE special services is an Australian ex-#toxicSAS – a mercenary overseeing other mercenaries.
The Australian parliament still has ex-#toxic SAS – Andrew Hastie MP – nominated for alleged abuses in Afghanistan.
The Australian parliament has an ex-member of the Raytheon board Brigadier Linda Reynolds. Molan is gone! yay!
Despite abusive practices the SAS are still regarded as heroes
Despite little evidence of peace-success, there practices are being exported for sale.

Meanwhile

The #toxisSAS report is still not finalised. Assange is still abandoned despite over 25 Wikileaks actions that changed our whole view of how power operates.

Who are #realheroes? Assange is the #realhero? They are #notHeroes? What is the #hashtag? :0
Nonviolence and diplomacy are dead: where is the training in the practices of civil society?
Looks like Coffey International is organising the mercenaries – Who are they? Where are they? They have a lovely webpage.

Then we will discuss

What are our pathways to action? Social Media? Action?
What dots need to be connected: key people with key events/sales/visits?
How to connect with people who have good intel?
How do we speak and write about these things?
Who do we communicate to?

Join #WagePeace for this briefing about the spread of human rights abuses and the rise of Australian militarism.

RSVP

See you there!

Margaret Pestorius from #Wagepeace

Zoom
By phone: 02 8015 2088. They will prompt you for the meeting id 880746689
Video link is https://zoom.us/j/880746689

Those of us working on the project are around the country and we invite you to play with us or donate!

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joins people and projects

amplifies messages

reveals pathways for action

keeps digital platforms

builds capacity

for people wanting to #endwarculture.

WAGE PEACE provides strategic messaging and digital campaign support
for campaigns and groups disturbing war and militarism in Australia.

The Swan Island 3 settle: Still a #ToxicSAS?

Our friends from the Victorian based #SwanIslandPeace #ToxicSAS projects, share news regarding their civil case which has been settled. We know some of you were supporting.

Yours in peace,

Margaret Pestorius, Wage Peace

From Greg, Sam and Dave:

“We wanted to update you all on our case against the Australian Defence Force. Early in the process the Commonwealth stepped in and took vicarious liability for the actions of the Australian Defence Force members who committed the assaults, so our case was against the Commonwealth.

Near the beginning of the proceedings we plaintiffs Greg, Sam and Dave agreed we wanted an acknowledgement of wrong doing, and a public apology from the ADF. It is now four years since the assaults and the ADF have made it abundantly clear that there will never be an apology, public or otherwise.

On Friday (15/6), a mandatory mediation occurred before the expected trial. In mediation we agreed on a settlement, meaning that this long gruelling process is finally over. It was a very difficult decision, and while we have questioned whether or not to see it as a victory, disappointment and relief seemed to be the biggest feelings of the day. We are confident that procedures have already changed as a result of our experiences.

Our case has resulted in changed procedures in Australia, but not in war theatres. We will keep working for change for our sisters and brothers in affected war theatres, and encourage you to do the same.

As with most mediation, the settlement requires that we do not talk about the details of the settlement itself, so we ask you to accept our decision not to share those details.

There will be more to do around media in the weeks to come. We will keep you in the loop on that.

Thanks for all your support. We appreciate all who had planned to come to court with us.”

Cheers,

Sam, Dave & Greg

BACKGROUND

ADF Atrocities: Linked to a US Culture of War; Linked to War Crimes.

The abuse of protesters is on the lower end of atrocities committed by SAS and ADF members in Afghanistan and elsewhere overseas. A secretive inquiry is being conducted by the Inspector General of the ADF. Its subject matter: the murder of innocents, cover-ups, obstruction of justice – matters raised by whistle-blowers as revealed last year in #theAfghanFiles.

You can read more about this from our previous email or here at the Wage Peace Website

P.S. Read Greg Rolles’ personal reflection on what this situation means to him.

“When I was younger I dreamed of being in the army…”.

Resources

ABC story - The Afghan Files — abc-the-afghan-files

Unarmed men, children among the casualties of elite forces ABC, 11 July 2017

Anti-war protesters claim they were abused on Swan Island intelligence facility Herald Sun, 2 October 2017

What is Swan Island? Richard Tanter, Nautilus Institute, 21 October 2014

Alleged Abuse of protesters against war in Iraq The Age, 17 October 2014

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Those of us working on the project are around the country and we invite you to play with us. or donate!

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WAGE PEACE provides strategic messaging and digital campaign support
for campaigns & groups disturbing war & militarism in Australia.

We ‘organise’ and ‘mobilise’ to #EndWarCulture

@MarisePayne “I call upon you to restore Australian’s reputation by fighting this culture of abuse.”

Dear Minister @MarisePayne

Australia is a country that calls itself an open and accountable democracy. We aim to show other countries how to act in a humane way to their citizens. So I was appalled to hear from a friend about events in September 2014. Protesters were hooded, zip-tied and had their clothing cut from their body. They were then beaten and threatened with rape and drowning at the secretive SAS military base at Swan Island, Victoria. Apparently a 2015 defence report admits this.

I note that the mission for the Australian Defence Forces is just that- the defence of Australia from armed attack. Yet in recent years we have strayed from this mission to support foreign countries in their wars against some of the poorest nations in the world.

I am concerned that the more brutal culture of US forces has contaminated our military. If this is the treatment given to Australians, how are the military behaving to people caught in the centre of armed conflict?

I call upon you to restore Australian’s reputation by fighting this culture of abuse. Transparency and taking responsibility for the terrible events at Swan island at the current court case concerning the protesters’ violent ordeal would be a start.

Please also support the next Chief of Defence Angus Campbell to continue his work addressing the culture of abuse. Angus Campbell knows that for the mental health of his soldiers he must demand open discussion.

Support is needed to fight drug addict and post traumatic stress disorder. And a rethink of the foreign policies that are sacrificing our ideals, our soldiers’ mental and physical health- and even their lives – for tenuous wars that result in the slaughter and suffering of so many of our fellow human beings.

I would be very interested in hearing your views on this matter.

Regards,

Sarah

A letter from Sarah Isaacs regarding #ToxicSAS

SMH: SAS soldiers committed alleged war crimes in Afghanistan: official report

By Nick McKenzie & Chris Masters

7 June 2018 — 6:38pm