Red, White and Blue

Australian Foreign Minister, Alexander Downer met with U.S Secretary of State, Condaleeza Rice in Washington recently to endorse further weapons deals as reported by ABC article. Although Downer and Rice made public statements on the situation in Fiji. Downer's tit-for-tat press remarks with Army Commander Frank Bainimarama revealed certain immature characteristics of the Australian Foreign Minister, by labelling the Commander as a Bully.

The reports to Congress of U.S arms shipments to Australia may indicate a certain measure of kickbacks for the use of Australian troops in Iraq, taking into account the Australian connection to the Iraq Oil-For-Food program.

This similar act of U.S defense export to Pakistan in the form of HF radio equipment, reflects this ethical dilemma with the interpretation of the Congress declared Arms Transfer code of conduct, when compared with Fiji's case. Both Pakistan and Fiji have had military coups yet, US State department had only suspended dealings with Fiji.

The US-Australia arms trade reflects a serious weaponization of the Pacific region and most certainly overkill for the terrorist threat in the War on Terror.
Are the technologically advanced weapons, a means of deterent to the potential Chinese influence in Fiji, in light of Australian and New Zealand Government's decision to suspend aid to the South Pacific island nation?

Undoubtedly, this is the most exorbitant misuse of resources for a small Pacific Rim country in terms of the percentage of the overall GDP; compared with Australia's expenditure on Pacific aid or domestic social programs. Ironically this arms expenditure reflects a fortress mentality, to procure heavy duty arsenal for an unseen threat.

The top contender of the Billion Dollar Arms export list, is as follows:

Up to three (3) MK 41 Vertical Launch System Baseline VII ship sets (includes 24 modules), modification of up to three (3) MK 7 AEGIS Weapon Systems, U.S. Government and contractor engineering and logistics personnel services, personnel training and training equipment, support and test equipment, spare and repair parts, publications and technical documentation, launch system software development and maintenance and other related elements of logistics support.

This type of arms transfers fits the bill of pork for outgoing members of the U.S Congress and Senate. The Committee for International Relations for the 109th Congress had commissioned a sub-committee Hearing (PDF) titled "America and Asia in a Changing World". The uneasiness of China's influence has peaked, in the wake of Pacific reverberations.

Defense exports will be definately up for scrutiny in the new Democratic controlled Congress and Senate, both fired up with pressure from their voters revolting from the Military Industrial complex and Iraq foreign policy derived from that idealogy.

With that scrutiny is the white-gloved inspection of these defense exports, especially those that flaunt the Congress directive of only exporting using US made arms for defense purposes.

Since Australia had such a inactive and unsatisfactory result in mediating with the South Pacific region, awarding such a weapons transfer only adds to the climate of suspicion.

Is Australia weary of terrorist cells capable of commanding a flotilla to invade the Great Southern Continent, or is it more a convenient method of sabre rattling using the excuse of diplomacy?

Pacific Beat podcast covers the Fiji developments with some old audio with a new twist.


Club Em Designs