Page 43 - Week 01 - Tuesday, 12 February 1991
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One cannot help noticing the relationship between the waning popularity of world leaders and the speed with which they jumped into participating in a war. George Bush, Margaret Thatcher, John Major and Bob Hawke, of course, are the great examples. It is true that their popularity has increased significantly, and that, too, is a very sad thing.
Ms Follett: That is why this lot supports them.
MR MOORE: Ms Follett interjected, "That is why this lot supports them". I believe that this Assembly is not an appropriate forum for a debate of this nature. However, the matter has been raised and I am quite prepared to state my position on it. I saw on the 7.30 Report, one evening just prior to the deadline date in mid-January, that King Hussein of Jordan had put up a peace plan. That was only ever reported, that I could see, on the 7.30 Report. I chased through the newspapers and other items to see whether I could find a verification of that, and I did not. According to the 7.30 Report, the peace plan included the withdrawal of Iraq from Kuwait but allowed Iraq some face-saving devices.
It was rejected out of hand by George Bush, the person who claims that he is going to war for peace. More ironically, he prayed before going to war. I wonder how many here who call themselves Christians would still go to war. The hypocrisy of it astounds me. It has always astounded me that Christians can advocate war and can go to war. If you go back to your Bible and the Ten Commandments, it is quite simple; it is quite straightforward: "Thou shalt not kill". If you feel that that was replaced by the New Testament, then look at the words of Christ about loving one another. If you go further to wonder whom you should love, Christ actually told them a story, and that was the parable of the Good Samaritan. Christians have no place whatsoever in advocating war, and those who do are guilty of a gross hypocrisy. It amazes me, and never ceases to amaze me, that people think that they can resolve wars by fighting wars; that they can find peace by violence.
Coming to these resolutions of the United Nations Council, there is no doubt about the bullying tactics used by the United States and others. This probably was best illustrated most recently when Jordan's King Hussein spoke out for peace in the region again and criticised the way that the war was being conducted. The immediate reaction of the United States was to bully by threatening the withdrawal of US aid. What kind of freedom of speech is involved when they apply economic sanctions like that?
Sanctions, of course, did provide the answers. It is all very well and good for Bob Hawke to say - and Mr Kaine has quoted him - "There is no parallel for the restraint, the patience and the caution with which the world alliance against Saddam Hussein has sought by peaceful means to
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