Public meetings to check out

Andrew Wilkie the AXIS OF DECEIT speaking tour Hear Andrew Wilkie – the Iraq war whistle-blowing Australian intelligence analyst – speak on Why New Zealand shouldn't be Bush and Howard's ally AUCKLAND, Wednesday August 24, 8 p.m. Trades Hall, 147 Great North Rd, Grey Lynn WELLINGTON, Friday August 26, 7:30 p.m. St John's Hall, cnr Dixon and Willis Sts CHRISTCHURCH, Monday August 29, 7:30 p.m. Oxford Terrace Baptist Church Lounge cnr Oxford Tce and Madras St Wellington only: Book signing, Saturday August 27, 10:30 – 11:30 a.m., Unity Books, 57 Willis St Have your copy of Axis of Deceit signed by Andrew. Meetings hosted by Green MP Keith Locke Andrew Wilkie was the senior transnational intelligence analyst in Australia's Office of National Assessments in 2002 and early 2003, dealing with the intelligence being gathered on Iraq, and providing reports to the government. He resigned from the ONA in March 2003 and went public with his concerns that John Howard's government was manipulating and distorting the intelligence for political reasons. He stands by the assertions he made at the time - that Iraq did not pose a serious enough threat to justify a war, that too many things could go wrong, and that it was bad policy to resort to force so long as alternative options remained. He thinks that they have all been proven accurate. In June 2004 his book Axis of Deceit was published. It is an account of the reasons for his resignation, including why and how ONA's work was being manipulated for political purposes. In October 2004 he stood for the Green Party against John Howard in the federal election. He won 16.5% of the vote and made Howard's formerly blue-ribbon seat marginal. Andrew continues to research, write and speak out against the dangers of getting to close to the US and helping implement its foreign and defence policies. He is especially concerned that Australia's closeness to the US is now putting NZ at risk, and has come to NZ at this time to warn about the dangers of being too close to Howard and Bush.