Iran War has exposed Australia’s vulnerabilities and misplaced priorities

Successive Australian governments’ misplaced priority on military “security” against an imagined threat has left Australians without adequate fuel, food and transport security.

The interruption in oil supply due to the US-Israeli war against Iran revealed this fragility.

While writing, 470 service stations Petrol or diesel were not available everywhere in Australia and the cost of both of these fuels was rising rapidly, impacting the cost and ability to transport produce from farm to supermarket. The cost of daily food items is increasing. The recent interest rate increase has further increased the financial pressure on mortgage holders. To reduce demand on scarce fuel resources, workers are encouraged to use public transportation or work from home. A worsening of the situation could lead to oil and food rationing.

Even before the Iran War, according to Foodbank Australia, approximately 20 percent of households Food insecurity was severe across the country, meaning they skipped meals or went without food all day.

The report highlighted how the housing crisis has intensified the problem, with 48 percent of renters experiencing food insecurity and having to choose between paying rent and buying food.

One must ask why so many people struggle to survive in a so-called rich country like Australia. Why have our fuel, food and transportation security become so vulnerable to the disruption of overseas wars?

Responsibility for this lies squarely with successive Australian governments of both major parties, who have for decades focused on the nation’s military “security” and spent heavily to support it. And this is despite the absence of any realistic military threat, either imminent or projected. As part of their commitment to US foreign policy, Forced Standstill Agreement And AUKUS The Security Treaty facilitates an increase in the US military footprint in Australia and massive spending on so-called defence; This actually means arming our Defense Force (ADF) for integration with the US armed forces and providing comprehensive facilities for US military operations in our country.

Among the facilities provided to the US military are training facilities. Bradshaw Training Range And Delamere bombing range Accommodation, port facilities for 2,500 US sailors each year in Darwin, NT HMAS Stirling In Western Australia, for US nuclear hunter-killer submarines, the Government is considering building an East Coast port for the same purpose. RAAF Tindal It is being upgraded to allow the deployment of up to six US B52 bombers in the NT, some of which are nuclear capable. US military officers have now been integrated into our defense intelligence system through a joint operation based in Canberra. Billions of dollars were given to US and UK shipyards in the hope that it would enable Australia to purchase/build up to eight nuclear hunter-killer submarines; If we buy these submarines, it will inevitably be dragged into US wars. This is in addition to Pine Gap, the most important US military intelligence collection facility outside the continental US North-West Cape submarine communications station According to journalist Peter Cronau, this is the most probably source The firing order that recently led to a US submarine sinking an Iranian frigate and causing heavy casualties in Iran.

A realistic assessment of this US military build-up and expansion of bases (whether US or jointly operated) shows that, rather than improving our security, they make Australia a specific target for retaliatory strikes in the event of a war between the US and its many enemies.

Governments’ short-sighted and misguided focus on military “security” has led to neglect of other vital areas of human security, including fuel security, food security, health security, transportation security, climate security, housing security, and communications security.

The failure of successive governments to ensure Australia’s internationally recommended 90-day fuel supply for the nation in the event of disruption to overseas supply is not only due to misplaced priorities, but is also a dereliction of duty bordering on outright incompetence.

In fact, they allowed the storage level to drop to one-third of this recommended level. Successive governments have allowed this industry to remain owned and therefore controlled by foreign, primarily American, companies. This allowed them to operate at only a third of the recommended level of fuel safety storage and, worse, to close six of the eight refineries operating in Australia and rely on refineries overseas instead. Because of this dereliction of duty, transport fuel for Australians is now vulnerable to transport disruptions, for example due to war; just like the current closure of the Homuz Strait. And in this case the Australian Government supports the US/Israeli illegal course against Iran, which is responsible for the disruption.

The way forward

short termThe Australian Government should cease any involvement in the Illegal US/Israeli war against Iran by recalling ADF personnel and equipment from the Middle East, close US access to Pine Gap and the North/West submarine communications station, call for an end to hostilities and a return to the conference table to determine a plan for peace and security for all people in the Middle East.

longer termThe Australian government should get involved in the energy supply industry. This is being done to reduce reliance on fossil fuels, accelerate the electrification of transport, including trucks, and create sufficient public fuel storage capacity (and refinery capacity if necessary) to enable Australia to meet the recommended 90-day fuel security.

Our government must shift its priorities away from fabricated security threats and loyalty to the US alliance and focus on our real security needs: fuel/energy, food, transportation, housing, health, communications, and the climate crisis.

Support independent journalism Subscribe to IA.