In June 2005, fifty peace activists went to Shoalwater Bay Defence Training Area in Queensland to stop a war. This is their story.

The Australian Government has a policy of increasing interoperability between Australia and US Armed Forces. Our government have committed us to increased US military presence on Australian soil and expouse the US dictum of "pre-emptive strike". All indications are that the US will expect Australian involvement in their wars wars will not end with Iraq. In June 2005, 10,000 US troops and 7000 Australian troops took part in joint military activities that will be the shape and size of things to come: Talisman-Sabre 05 at Shoalwater Bay near Rockhampton, Queensland. War resistors from all over Australia converged there to bear witness to the increasing militarization of Australia. They came to join with the locals to spread the message that the Australian people want peace, not increased involvement in U.S.-led wars.—Kim Stewart, Robin Taubenfeld and David Bradbury