Solomon Islands bullied into accepting Aussie-led military intervention

[IndianaGreen]

The Australian PM, John Howard, also has imperialist ambitions as his hero, George W. Bush.

Global capitalism is entering its imperialistic phase!

Solomon Islands bullied into accepting Australian-led military intervention
By Will Marshall
12 July 2003

After three days of debate, the Solomon Islands parliament on Friday unanimously endorsed a cabinet decision to invite an Australian-led force of soldiers and police into the country. Despite the protestations of some MPs, who warned that the intervention amounted to the re-colonisation of the former British territory, the vote was largely a formality.

Well before the vote was taken, an advance team of Australian soldiers and police had arrived in the capital Honiara on Monday to prepare for the arrival of a 2,000-strong force. For all its pretence that this is a “cooperative intervention” at the request of the Solomons authorities, the Howard government had made it plain that the Solomons parliament had no choice but to rubberstamp the military operation.

Australian Prime Minister John Howard reinforced this message on Thursday by insisting that the Solomons MPs also adopt additional legislation giving sweeping powers to intervention force personnel and granting them legal immunity for any actions they take.

<snip>

As its pay-off for joining the US-led invasion of Iraq, the Howard government has secured the backing of the Bush administration to carry out its own colonial-style intervention into the Solomons.

http://www.wsws.org/articles/2003/jul2003/solo-j12.shtml

[legin]

1. I'm guessing

but from memory the PNAC report called for a greater presence in the South East Asia region. It seems possible that this task has been contracted out and Australia have been given a nice large 'sphere of influence' in that region as a reward for supporting bush* and his insane schemes. Australia will act as the local superpower for that region, 'the Australian sector'. I'm also guessing that the PM of Indonesia who I think has made some nasty noises against bush* will be taken care of fairly shortly.