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To highlight this, Greenpeace activists dressed as United Nations blue
berets placed Mr Howard under symbolic ‘house arrest’ early this
morning.
At 6am three vehicles carrying UN insignia blocked all access points to Mr Howard's residence (the Lodge) in Canberra, confining the Prime Minister to symbolic house arrest.
Greenpeace volunteers dressed as UN personnel posted themselves at the gates and locked themselves onto the vehicles.
Mr Howard’s action of committing Australia to war in Iraq was found to breach articles 2(4), 42 and 51 of the UN Charter.
Under these articles UN member states “are to refrain from the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any State. Force may only be used if specifically approved by the Security Council or in self defence when a threat is immanent.”
Greenpeace campaigner Shane Rattenbury said that there was no legal basis for individual UN members to take military action without UN approval.
“John Howard has engaged in legalistic cherry picking from earlier resolutions, to justify a war that has not been authorised by the majority of the UN Security Council or even the majority of its permanent members,” Rattenbury said.
Greenpeace is reinforcing the message given to John Howard by more than half a million Australians who marched in recent peace rallies.
“It’s not too late – Federal Cabinet must reverse yesterday’s decision to commit Australian troops to war in Iraq and bring Australia’s troops home,” concluded Rattenbury.
Greenpeace Australia Pacific executive director Peter Mullins managed to personally pass on a message to John Howard to bring back our troops from the war.
At 6am three vehicles carrying UN insignia blocked all access points to Mr Howard's residence (the Lodge) in Canberra, confining the Prime Minister to symbolic house arrest.
Greenpeace volunteers dressed as UN personnel posted themselves at the gates and locked themselves onto the vehicles.
Mr Howard’s action of committing Australia to war in Iraq was found to breach articles 2(4), 42 and 51 of the UN Charter.
Under these articles UN member states “are to refrain from the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any State. Force may only be used if specifically approved by the Security Council or in self defence when a threat is immanent.”
Greenpeace campaigner Shane Rattenbury said that there was no legal basis for individual UN members to take military action without UN approval.
“John Howard has engaged in legalistic cherry picking from earlier resolutions, to justify a war that has not been authorised by the majority of the UN Security Council or even the majority of its permanent members,” Rattenbury said.
Greenpeace is reinforcing the message given to John Howard by more than half a million Australians who marched in recent peace rallies.
“It’s not too late – Federal Cabinet must reverse yesterday’s decision to commit Australian troops to war in Iraq and bring Australia’s troops home,” concluded Rattenbury.
Greenpeace Australia Pacific executive director Peter Mullins managed to personally pass on a message to John Howard to bring back our troops from the war.
