Kerry Nettle, Senator for New South Wales



Government and Labor fail to rule out attack on Iran



Senator Nettle, 28th February 2006

Greens Senator Kerry Nettle, today, expressed her disappointment at the Senate's  failure to support a Greens motion ruling out Australian support for an attack on Iran.  Labor and the Government combined to vote against the motion in the Senate this  afternoon.

"It is clear that Washington may be preparing to bomb Iran", Senator Nettle said.

"The government and the opposition should not be supporting what would be another  disaster in the Middle East. How can we support this after what has happened in  Iraq?"

"No one wants Iran to get nuclear weapons, but it is clear that diplomatic initiatives  are the only credible path towards resolving the ambiguities in their nuclear program."

"An attack on Iran by the United States or Israel would cause the death of thousands  but many more would die in the subsequent explosion of conflict across the Middle  East."

"Washington's concerns would be taken more seriously if they applied the same  principles to Israel's nuclear weapons and their own. The Nuclear Non-Proliferation  treaty should be followed by all states."

For more information: Jon Edwards 0428 213 146

Motion follows

That the Senate

notes:

a. That the International Atomic Energy Agency's board of governors will meet  on March 6 to consider the resumption of aspects of Iran's nuclear program   b. Recent media reports that suggest the United States and Israel are considering  a military strike on Iran   c. The recent report by the Oxford Research Group that found as many as 10,000

people could die in such an attack

Calls on the government to:

a. Support diplomatic initiatives to prevent Iran from pursuing nuclear weapons;   b. Encourage all parties to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty to pursue its  requirements for nuclear disarmament;

c. Rule out Australian support for a military strike on Iran by the United States or  Israel.

Created by Administration   Last modified 01-03-2006 09:57 PM

