Independent Senator for Tasmania, Jacqui Lambie has slammed comments made by Murdoch reporter Samantha Maiden regarding the JLN’s plan for the air delivery of food and medical aid to the children and families caught behind the frontlines in Syria.
“ I don’t know where Sam Maiden gets her information from, about how to fight terrorists – but it’s obvious she and her colleagues think they know more about attacking and undermining terrorists, than Hugh Dolan, my Senate Candidate for Victoria, who helped create the JLN policy for the Middle East.
Hugh is a retired RAAF Squadron Leader and military Intelligence officer who did a couple of tours of active service in the Middle East in 2003. Before Hugh joined the Australian military he read history at Oxford. While serving in the RAAF, Hugh was appointed one of the senior intelligence Officers who advised and managed security for APEC 07 and the Papal Tour 08. (attached CV)
Hugh knows a lot about the current military and social challenges in the Middle East. And I’m very proud to have him as part of the JLN team. I’m stunned by the arrogant, dismissive tone of the reporter’s article. She even implied (wrongly) that I’ve suggested that all bombing of military targets cease in Syria, should humanitarian food and medical air-drops be agreed to by the United Nations.
It’s sad that Ms Maiden is going for a cheap, low, political shot in describing as Bizarre our plan to ease the exodus out of Syria and undermine Isis – by Australia making an application to the United Nations for the air delivery of food and medical aid to the children and families caught behind the frontlines in Syria.
It’s a plan that would work and undermine the authority of the Isis thugs, if it was carried out properly. As Hugh notes in his Opinion Piece (attached) – Syrian children, and indeed families are also victims of ISIS. They are living in villages overrun by murderers, extortionists and rapists. The local village economy has collapsed. There is no food or water.
So only a very shallow, ill-informed person would think that providing food air-drops is Bizarre and would not lessen the control and influence that Isis has over the Syrian civilian population.
It looks like Sam deliberately got carried away by the slang word “biscuit bombing” that our RAAF used in WW2 to describe food, medical and humanitarian air drops to civilians and our troops in war zones. Perhaps she hadn’t heard of this common military term? None-the-less, it’s clear Ms Maiden thought the words “biscuit bombing” was funny.
However, the Russian Ambassador didn’t think it was funny. In a letter to me (attached) he gave the JLN air-drop plan qualified support. Of course the humanitarian air-drops would have to be agreed to and co-ordinated by the UN in order to have a reasonable chance of success.
Or in the exact words of the Ambassador Vladimir Morozov:
“As for the “Biscuit Bombing” per sei, I also agree that humanitarian initiatives will contribute to a better Australia’s international standing. However the current situation in the air as well as the dynamics in Syria can hardly allow any humanitarian airdrops or cross-border humanitarian reliefs. Especially it can bring the disastrous consequences over if it is implemented without proper UN sanction and delivered not through the relevant international channels.” said Senator Lambie.
Grand Mufti
“Many media have asked me if I stand by my comments about the Grand Mufti of Australia – and I 100% stand by them. He’s failed to unconditionally condemn the ISIS terrorists, their actions and their law – Sharia law – and until he does that he’s not to be trusted.” said Senator Lambie.
Download …
Biscuit_Bombing_-_Hughs_Speech_.pdf
Letter_for_J.Lambie_.pdf
Rob Messenger for Senator Jacqui Lambie Senator for Tasmania
