Showing posts with label Australian SAS. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Australian SAS. Show all posts

Wednesday, April 02, 2008

Hemispheric Hypocrisy -An Australian Ideal?


Australian Foreign Minister Stephen Smith rejects the contents of the recent released report by Fiji Human Rights Commission (FHRC) calling them "spurious suggestions". Undoubtedly, the Foreign Minister's reactions were simply obfuscated denials of the gross breach of International Law.
The rejections of Fiji Human Rights Commission(FHRC) released report, is obviously predictable belligerence from the MP representing Perth, Western Australia and also as a matter of curiosity, the Australia SAS is based in Campbell Barracks, Swanbourne, Perth according to Wikipedia.

Fiji Sun article excerpt:

Keep word, State told
Last updated 4/3/2008 8:28:40 AM
The report by the Fiji Human Rights Commission is another attempt to get the interim regime to avoid its commitment for a general election next year, says Australia’s Foreign Affairs minister Stephen Smith.
Speaking to the Fiji Sun yesterday, Mr Smith rejected the allegations made against Australian forces in the report saying it was another potential distraction from holding elections in 2009.

“This is just another device, another potential distraction to put the interim Fiji government, the military government, in the position of sliding out a faithful undertaking that it gave to Pacific nation states at the Pacific Island Forum in Tonga in 2007 that they would have an election by the end of March, next year,” he said.

Mr Smith said the interim regime needed to meet and fulfill its commitment to the Forum that a general election would be held as promised in early 2009.
“The best thing that can happen in Fiji is not spurious suggestions about Australian activity, but having an election, returning Fiji to democracy, respecting human rights and democracy and allowing a potentially very prosperous nation to get on with the job of providing for its citizens,” he said. Mr Smith said the allegations made were not new.

“We’ve seen these spurious allegations before from, effectively the interim regime which took power through military force, not through democratic means. They have been rejected in the past. We reject them again.”

He said the Australian military had previously pointed out that Australian military were effectively on stand-by in Fiji prior to the December, 2006 coup so as to ensure the safety and welfare of Australian nationals should it have become necessary.

Fiji Human Rights Commission director Dr Shaista Shameem said it was prompted to investigate Australia’s breach of international laws after the media’s failure to conduct an investigation into the matter. She pointed out the FHRC was an independent body that could publish investigation reports at any time.

“There is no mention of the takeover in the report, merely an Australian intervention in a sovereign nation before the Biketawa meeting took place.” She denied any military involvement in the compilation and preparation of the report pointing out that most of the information was from media reports in Australia, the region and Fiji.


Fiji Live(FL) article also covers the story.

The excerpt of FL article:

Australia rejects Fiji accusations
03 APR 2008
Australian Foreign Minister Stephen Smith says fresh accusations from Fiji about Australia are just an attempt to distract attention from the military Government, keeping democracy on hold.

His comment follows a report by the Fiji Human Rights Commission alleging that Australia had breached international law through its military activities before the December 5, 2006 coup.

According to the report, the Fiji military claimed at the time that Australia secretly sent SAS soldiers and weapons to Fiji and its navy ships entered Fiji waters in preparation for a potential intervention.

“We've seen these spurious allegations before,” Smith told ABC Radio yesterday.

“They've been rejected in the past, we reject them again.

“The Australian military were effectively on standby so as to ensure the safety and welfare of Australian nationals should that have become necessary,” Smith clarified.

He said the interim Government was using such methods to divert attention from its failure to prepare Fiji for elections next year as promised.

“This is just another device, another potential distraction to put the interim Fiji Government, the military Government, in the position of sliding out of a faithful undertaking that it gave to Pacific nation states.

“The best thing that can happen in Fiji is not spurious suggestions about Australian activity but having an election, returning Fiji to democracy, respecting human rights and democracy and allowing a potentially very prosperous nation to get on with the job of providing for its citizens,” Smith said.

Fijilive


Radio Fiji article
also covers the denial by Australian Foreign Minister, Stephen


Allegations against Australia distraction
Thursday, April 03, 2008

Australia Foreign Minister Stephen Smith.
Australia Foreign Minister Stephen Smith says fresh accusations from Fiji about Australia are another attempt to distract attention from the Military Government here keeping democracy on hold.

Smith’s comment follows the Human Rights Commission report, which alleges Australia breached international law through its military activities ahead of the coups in 2006.

The report repeats claims by the Military at the time that Australia secretly sent SAS soldiers and weapons to Fiji and its navy ships entered Fiji waters in preparation for a potential intervention.

However, Smith told ABC Radio the allegations, which have been made before have been rejected.

Smith says the Australian military was on standby to ensure the safety and welfare of Australian nationals should that have become necessary.

He says the Military Government has used such methods to divert attention from its failure to prepare for elections next year as promised.

Smith says the best thing that can happen in Fiji is not spurious suggestions about Australian activity but having an election, returning Fiji to democracy and respecting human rights and democracy.


ABC article covers the initial story.

The transcript of ABC interview with FHRC Chair. Podcast of Pacific Beat.

Australia has been accused of helping spark the December 2006 coup in Fiji by sending military forces to the country. The allegation is made in a report by Fiji's Human Rights Commission. The report looks at events which led up to the December 5th coup, focusing on Australia's deployment of ships to nearby waters and an alleged contingent of Special Air Service soldiers who flew in on a commercial flight.

The Australian Defence Force confirmed at the time that Defence Supplementation staff were sent to assist the High Commission in Suva with communications, as part of what was described as routine precautionary measures. Commission chair, Doctor Shaista Shameem, says the presence of the SAS troops was detected by the Fiji Military Forces, whose commander, Commodore Frank Bainimarama, was at the time threatening to take over the government from the elected prime minister, Laisenia Qarase.

Presenter: Bruce Hill
Speaker: Doctor Shaista Shameem, Chair Fiji Human Rights Commission

SHAMEEM: The mixed messages that were being reported in the press in Brisbane I think it was, but also in Canberra, prior to the vessels being sent out.; In fact, I think Kevin Rudd was the first person who introduced the idea of invoking or activating as he called it, the Biketawa agreement, and he kept saying let's get on with it, let's get on with it. He said that phrase twice in two different interviews. And it was the same evening that one of the ships, I think it was the Newcastle, actually left for Fiji waters and it was joined later on by the Kanimbla and the Success. So there are a lot of things being said which were quite different from the official position that the Australian Government was maintaining throughout, that it was in relation to the evacuation of Australian nationals. But that was in relation just to the sending of the ships.

The other problem was the presence of the SAS forces in Fiji that had arrived quite clandestinely and not having gone through customs procedures and so on and of course the RFMF new about them a little while later, because they were with the police tactical response team.

HILL: How were the SAS soldiers detected? Do you know how many of them there were and what their mission was?

SHAMEEM: Well, the official report is that they denied, the Australians have denied the SAS forces were there, but there were, our Army here obviously has its own intelligence sources. So they found them out and then the Australian defence advisory and the Australian High Commission here denied the presence of those forces and so the RFMF commander said that he would treat them as mercenaries. And it was at that point that the chief of defence in Australia rang him up and said no, they are SAS forces, they're mine and they then withdrew to the Australian embassy.

HILL: What were the SAS soldiers from Australia doing in Fiji?

SHAMEEM: No idea, you need to ask the Australians that. But what we do know is that they had bought with them more than 400 kilograms of something in big, sealed boxes, in silver boxes and which Downer said was communication equipment, but the RFMF said were weapons and ammunition.

HILL: Now the official story from Canberra was that ships were sent and they were outside Fiji waters in case there needed to be an emergency evacuation of Australian citizens. Is that what the report says? That they stayed outside Fiji waters?

SHAMEEM: Yes, that's what they said officially, because they were outside, they were going to stay outside Fiji territory. I think there was a lot of insistence on that point. But in fact when the civilian aircraft were sent to find them, they were found within Fiji waters.

HILL: How far inside Fiji waters?

SHAMEEM: Eh, off one of the islands actually.

HILL:
Which one?

SHAMEEM:
Vatulele.

HILL: Do you think that Australia was actually seriously planning to invade Fiji with some SAS troops and some ships?

SHAMEEM: Look, I think the evidence is all there and people can put a different light on that. What we're really looking at is the inconsistencies and the statements and exactly the fact situation. So if it was consistent with evacuation, we would have said yes, it looked like they were evacuating. But right from the beginning, in fact from November 3rd, there were a whole lot of inconsistent statements that were given by the Australian forces, politicians, Downer, Brendan Nelson, I think his name is, Mark Vaile, presumably was the acting prime minister at the time I think.

HILL: If this plan which your suggesting the Australians had to somehow intervene militarily in Fiji had gone ahead, what would the consequences of that have been do you think?

SHAMEEM: Well, I think, are we talking about a kind of an Iraq type situation, would we have been like Iraq in the Pacific or would it have been something a little bit low key? I mean really the horror of it is just unimaginable. So first of all of course the Australians would probably tell you that they had no intention of doing etc. etc. etc. but that's not the impression that everyone got, including the RFMF. But that's not the interesting question. Of course the interesting question is if the Australians had not been there, and if this had not been a threat as the RFMF thought, would December 5th happened anyway? Well how did it instigate? What happened on December the 5th, that is really the important question I think.



Fiji TV article.
Sydney Morning Herald article.
Australia Network news article.
Australian news article on Smith's denial.

Smith's furious rejections simply sends a message to other nations that, Australia does not respect the UN Charter and will single out and lecture others of human rights, democracy when they themselves, aside from the U.S, are colossal violators. Case in point the documented reports of Australian violations of Human Rights.

The only deflection of attention is definitely on Australia's part. Despite the newly elected Government led by Kevin Rudd, Australia's foreign policy may resume the trajectory set by John Howard's Government, which according to the Australian Review of Public Affairs(ARPA) article, Howard's Government had shown little interest in the U.N. However, the current Australian P.M Kevin Rudd has indicated the intention of seeking a seat in the U.N Security Council in 2013, according to VOA news article and that bid is probably Australia's way entering the big boys league, after languishing at the Kid's table for years.
A column in the Australian, suggests Rudd's honeymoon is coming to an end. Rudd is currently making the rounds in Washington as covered by Wall Street Journal, in reality, Rudd's Washington stop over was a signet ring kissing ceremony.




Social Bookmarking



Add to: Digg
Add to: Del.icio.us
Add to: Reddit
Add to: StumbleUpon
Add to: Furl
Add to: Yahoo
Add to: Spurl
Add to: Google
Add to: Technorati
Add to: Newsvine




Tuesday, April 01, 2008

Aust military presence in Fiji Pre-2006 Coup Raises Concerns

An investigation report by the Fiji Human Rights Commission(FHRC) has raised some very serious concerns about the presence of the Australian SAS forces, warships and Black Hawks in Fiji in 2006.

read more | digg story

The actual report (PDF).

FHRC report

An excerpt of Fiji Sun's coverage of the report release:

FHRC report questions presence of foreign forces
Last updated 4/2/2008 8:53:41 AM

The presence of Australian forces, warships and black hawk helicopters in Fiji in the lead up to the December 2006 coup have been questioned by the Fiji Human Rights Commission.

The Special Investigations Report released by the FHRC yesterday recorded the chronology of events from October 30 to December 5, 2006 mainly highlighting Australia’s presence in Fiji in the lead up to the coup.

Australia’s high commissioner to Fiji, James Batley yesterday had no comment to make on the matter. Questioned in the report was the presence of the Australian Task Force 636 in Fiji between November-December 2006.

The explanation post-Black Hawk-crash that warships were preparing to evacuate Australian nationals was deemed inconsistent with statements made pre-crash and eye-witness accounts. Further, the statements of the Defence Force Command, Alexander Downer, Brendon Nelson and others were said to be ambiguous and downright contradictory.

The report stated no satisfactory explanation was provided for the presence of Australian SAS forces in Fiji from November 3 and there was also no record of when and how they left Fiji. Also criticised were the recent comments by Australian Foreign Minister Stephen Smith when he said Fiji’s bad behaviour would not be rewarded and should be taken seriously.

“This type of comment from Australia’s Foreign Affairs Minister will certainly raise eyebrows given this special investigations report,” the report noted.

Relevant international laws the FHRC believed were breached with the presence of Australian troops in Fiji were cited from articles of the United Nations Charter, the UN Declaration on Principles of International Law Concerning Friendly Relations and Cooperation Among States and the UN Declaration of the Non-Use of Force. The need for an independent assessment of whether the Australian Government complied with its international obligations towards Fiji pursuant to the UN Charter was emphasised, given the chronology of events.

“Furthermore there needs to be an assessment of whether any of the provisions of the Biketawa Declaration would have been available at all to Australia as opposition spokesman Kevin Rudd claimed on November 2.”

The report stated the Biketawa Declaration may have been misapplied by Australia to intervene unilaterally in a sovereign Pacific State.

“In any event the substantive provisions of the Biketawa Declaration should be read consistently with its preamble that Forum Leaders would respect the principle of non-interference in the domestic affairs of another member state. This perspective accords with the UN Charter.”

Another question raised was whether western powers intervention and involvement in Fiji’s affairs in 2006 complied with international law was a relevant question.

The report recommended that any inquiry into the Australian presence in Fiji should take into consideration the SAS forces arrival in Fiji that was initially denied by Australia but later confirmed they were SAS forces after being warned by the military they would be treated as mercenaries.

Also recommended for consideration were statements by the Australian Defence that warships were sent to evacuate Australian nationals in the event of a coup.
“But two of the ships depart Fiji waters on November 30, five days before takeover, presumably leaving Australian nationals in Fiji to fend for themselves on December 5.”

The report concluded there was need for meaningful discussions in forthcoming Pacific Island Forum meetings about the obligations of sovereign states to each other and the right and duties of members of the sub-regional body under international law pursuant to the UN Charter and the relevant declarations mentioned in the report.


Fiji Times article covers the release of FHRC report.

The excerpt of FT article:


Human rights report lays blame on Aust

Wednesday, April 02, 2008

THE Fiji Human Rights Commission has released a special investigative report on how Australia intervened in Fiji's situation from October to December 2006 that eventually led to the military coup.

The 13-page report states that former Police Commissioner Andrew Hughes confiscated a consignment of ammunition meant for the Fiji army on October 30.

It also stated that Army Commander Commodore Voreqe Bainimarama got a call from Australia's Air Chief Marshall, Angus Houston, in Sinai threatening and warning him not to do anything that would make him "pit his soldiers against Fijian troops".

The report stated that Commodore Bainimarama said this call was a threat that involved clear intention to send Australian forces to Fiji. "He said in military terms when you threaten someone it involves capability and intention so there was intention to move troops to Fiji," the report said.

This incident happened on October 31.

The report also said on November 6, the Australian Department of Defence admitted sending an "unspecified number of staff' to the Australian High Commission in Suva".

The report stated that on November 28, the former Australian High Commissioner, Jeniffer Rawson, United Kingdom's High Commissioner and the US Ambassador visited high ranking army officers at Queen Elizabeth barracks to request officers to withdraw their support for Commodore Bainimarama.

On November, 29, the report stated that Canberra was taking aggressive steps to protect its interests in Fiji and the region.

"The Elite Australian troops had their leave cancelled and a Sydney- based commando task group was placed on standby," the report said.

The Commission said they collated this information last year from independent eyewitness accounts and media reports from the region.

Ousted Prime Minister, Laisenia Qarase said he would comment after he reads a copy of this report.

Questions sent to interim Attorney-General and National Federation Party president, Pramod Rae were yet to be answered.

Note on the excerpt of the Fiji Times article, there is no reference to International Law nor the breaches of it. FT article describes the scenario of SAS troopers deplaning at Nadi Airport with unchecked cargo and outlines as well as condensing or minimizing the event into 3 lines:
"The report also said on November 6, the Australian Department of Defence admitted sending an "unspecified number of staff' to the Australian High Commission in Suva".

FT article does not even frame the context of the Australian Department of Defence statements and or even mention exactly who were these staff members or the controversy behind their arrival.


SiFM earlier posting titled "Off Fiji Or In Fiji" raised the issue of media coverage of the event. Another post titled:"Location, Location, Location." examines the precise location of the crash and International Law.















With the advent of Youtube, the actual footage of the Black Hawk crash, underwater wreckage, the subsequent board of inquiry is available, posted below.

Video #1-Source: New Zealand TV3.



Video #2-Source: Australian Broadcast Corporation.