The isolation of the Christmas Island detention centre is the key to soaring mental health problems of staff and detainees. Crikey took the long flight to inspect the facility.
Articles by Antony Loewenstein 
Curtin detention centre: 30min drive from Derby, ‘fit in or f-ck off’
Curtin is situated inside an Australian Airforce Base, around 30 minutes drive from Derby, and can only be accessed by prior arrangement with Serco. Crikey paid a visit.
Woodside’s Kimberley: red dirt, pristine coastline … and heavy security
When West Australian Premier Colin Barnett said last week that he welcomed the announcement of a permanent US military presence in northern Australia), his words are worth considering in a wider context.
Strange bedfellows: new nexus between Israel and far Right
This is an extract from an essay in On Utøya: Anders Breivik, right terror, racism and Europe.
Where are the Arab voices on the BDS coverage?
Where are Arab voices in the Australian media as part of the coverage of the NSW Greens embracing boycott, divestment and sanctions (BDS) against Israel?
NSW election: Greens Marrickville candidate labelled ‘Hamas harlot’
The campaign against the Greens candidate for Marrickville is not all fair and above board.
asylum seekers Villawood guards blow whistle on OH&S issues at the centre
Three security guards working at Sydney’s Villawood detention centre have exposed occupational health and safety breaches at their workplace, in exclusive interviews with Crikey.
Does Israel believe that Egypt deserves democracy?
Truly free speech in the Arab world threatens Israel because a wide diversity of views will be more loudly heard and necessarily incorporated into the political mainstream, writes Antony Loewenstein.
Elite Oz soldiers in covert operations for top-secret Alliance Base
Elite Australian soldiers are involved in covert operations for the Americans in the “war on terror”, co-ordinated through the top-secret, Paris-based centre Alliance Base.
Howes on being a ‘critical friend of Israel’ and union embrace of boycott
The Middle East “quagmire” is largely “the fault of Israel”, according to Paul Howes, national secretary of the Australian Workers Union (AWU).
Private contractor Serco escapes scrutiny in the detention debate
Effective mental health services, despite Immigration Department spokesman Sandi Logan saying they are first class, are sadly lacking because mandatory detention exacerbates trauma.
Departing ALP member tells of deep Zionist influence in party
The departing Labor member for Fowler, Julia Irwin, has revealed the deep influence of the Zionist lobby on the ALP and the inner workings of her party towards the Middle East.
Why privatisation should be on the agenda
The Crikey/ACIJ series on Australian companies profiting from the foreign aid budget is a welcome discussion of the rapid privatisation of services in Australia and overseas, an area largely ignored by the mainstream media.
IDF lawyer: the problem isn’t with international law, it’s fighting terrorism
In light of the recent Gaza flotilla disaster, the Goldstone report and ongoing global attempts to hold Israeli officials to account for alleged war crimes, this seminar on terror and laws of war was well timed.
Overland branded biased by Jewish academics
Australian Jewish academics are trying to intimidate one of the country’s leading literary journals.
It’s a good time to be in the detention centre business. Just ask Serco
Concerns over Serco’s management of Curtin are rising, but that hasn’t put a dent in the company’s profits.
Tamils vote for independence — and will vote against Labor
Australian’s Tamil community want an independent homeland in Sri Lanka. And they want respect from a federal government here that is now denying visa applications to their people.
Christmas Island ‘pressure cooker’ could explode after UN review
The situation in Christmas Island is expected to blow up completely if the Federal Government is allowed to deport asylum seekers back to strife-torn Afghanistan and Sri Lanka.
Australia rolls out the welcome mat for war criminal retirees
If Canberra fails to take its global responsibilities seriously, another chapter will be added to the already dismal history Australia has of allowing sanctuary to killers, brutes and generals.
GFM claims success in flying the flag for Gaza
1400 people from 43 countries descended on Cairo on December 27 and aimed to travel into Gaza to “break the siege”. Antony Loewenstein was there.
Rudd helps the Middle East story remain one sided
For the Australian political elite, Israel is the sacred cow, a religion that accepts no criticism or dissent, writes Antony Loewenstein.
Times changing rapidly in the Middle East
In the context of a stagnated “peace process” and ongoing colonial expansion that makes a two-state solution practically impossible, the Greens are re-assessing their current policy on the Israel/Palestine conflict.
