Drizzt
Member
US navy repels Carmen Lawrence and co
January 15 2003
The US navy today refused to allow a boat load of prominent West Australians, including Federal MP Carmen Lawrence, to conduct a "weapons inspection" aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln.
Accompanied by WA Greens MP Jim Scott and representatives of the legal and scientific communities, Dr Lawrence wanted to see the extent and nature of weapons of mass destruction aboard the world's largest aircraft carrier.
Up to two dozen West Australians sailed towards USS Abraham Lincoln in a yacht today - their mission to draw US attention to the fact that not all Australians want them here while their country is on a war footing with Iraq.
Dr Lawrence said the group also wanted to highlight the US's failure to disarm its own weapons of mass destruction.
"We were tying to illustrate the hypocrisy of the US position," the former Labor frontbencher said.
The US navy refused to allow the yacht to enter an exclusion zone around the aircraft carrier.
"In the end they did not allow us to board," Dr Lawrence said.
"We spoke briefly by radio telephone to the USS Abraham Lincoln and indicated that we were protesting at the US involvement in Iraq.
"And the fact that they could hold weapons of mass destruction off our shore without our having any knowledge."
One of three Australian water police boats patrolling the exclusion zone turned the delegation's yacht back after about half an hour.
"I think it would have been sensible of them to hear what we had to say," Dr Lawrence said.
"It would have been good public relations.
"As it is, they have chosen to adopt a fairly arrogant view and to refuse to hear local representatives."
USS Abraham Lincoln has been berthed off Fremantle for almost two weeks since being ordered back to the WA port, a week after it left, for maintenance and repair work.
Its return came amid speculation it was preparing for a war against Iraq, and fears its presence could make WA a target.
http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2003/01/15/1042520667095.htm
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January 15 2003
The US navy today refused to allow a boat load of prominent West Australians, including Federal MP Carmen Lawrence, to conduct a "weapons inspection" aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln.
Accompanied by WA Greens MP Jim Scott and representatives of the legal and scientific communities, Dr Lawrence wanted to see the extent and nature of weapons of mass destruction aboard the world's largest aircraft carrier.
Up to two dozen West Australians sailed towards USS Abraham Lincoln in a yacht today - their mission to draw US attention to the fact that not all Australians want them here while their country is on a war footing with Iraq.
Dr Lawrence said the group also wanted to highlight the US's failure to disarm its own weapons of mass destruction.
"We were tying to illustrate the hypocrisy of the US position," the former Labor frontbencher said.
The US navy refused to allow the yacht to enter an exclusion zone around the aircraft carrier.
"In the end they did not allow us to board," Dr Lawrence said.
"We spoke briefly by radio telephone to the USS Abraham Lincoln and indicated that we were protesting at the US involvement in Iraq.
"And the fact that they could hold weapons of mass destruction off our shore without our having any knowledge."
One of three Australian water police boats patrolling the exclusion zone turned the delegation's yacht back after about half an hour.
"I think it would have been sensible of them to hear what we had to say," Dr Lawrence said.
"It would have been good public relations.
"As it is, they have chosen to adopt a fairly arrogant view and to refuse to hear local representatives."
USS Abraham Lincoln has been berthed off Fremantle for almost two weeks since being ordered back to the WA port, a week after it left, for maintenance and repair work.
Its return came amid speculation it was preparing for a war against Iraq, and fears its presence could make WA a target.
http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2003/01/15/1042520667095.htm
l
:banghead:
