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The Mother of an Australian Soldier Writes to John Howard
Dear Prime Minister Howard,
11/11/05 "The
Age" -- --
You would not have recognised our son, he was just another face in
the group as you met members of the defence forces and their
families in Darwin this year.
You would not have known of the pain trapped in my heart as he held
me in his strong arms prior to his departure, reassuring me he would
be OK.
I do not presume to speak for others but simply as a mother whose
only son is deployed in Iraq. I feel betrayed and misled by you and
your Government regarding the justification for the invasion of
Iraq.
Time passes slowly for me, never more than in the early hours of the
morning when unanswered questions, hopes and fears compete for time.
Occasionally I am visited by despair. I despair when old men send
young men to war, when those detained are mistreated and subjected
to acts of humiliation, and the relative ease with which those with
opposing views are labelled.
If I condone this behaviour, what can I expect in the event a member
of the Australian Defence Force is detained? I wonder what the Iraqi
definition of terrorism might be. Could ADF members be perceived as
terrorists by some Iraqis? What might the consequences be?
If detained, would they be treated in accordance with international
law, or an interpretation of the law created to justify the
situation? Is there an Iraqi equivalent to Guantanamo Bay? These are
the questions that haunt me in the early hours of the morning. I
know fear can be irrational, real or perceived. This is my
perception, my reality.
I think of the young lives extinguished in Iraq, and of the Iraqi
civilians killed in the conflict. Every death represents the loss of
somebody's son/daughter and perhaps somebody's father/mother,
brother/sister, uncle/aunt, nephew/niece . . . I wonder about the
futility of war.
I will light a candle as a symbol of hope - hope that those
entrusted with the responsibility of leading nations will act with
honesty, integrity and compassion in the interest of all humanity,
hope for the safe return of defence force members, hope for the safe
return of our son.
Copyright © 2005. The Age Company Ltd.
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