Australia's Prime Minister Tony Abbott - making a major error by leading Australia into Iraq?
The government of Prime Minister Tony Abbott's contention that Australia returning to Iraq will not
increase the terrorism risk at home is dangerously contrived. The risk from
Australia’s return to Iraq can be termed revenge terrorism. A country’s
response to that increased risk may include the installation of a higher
terrorism alert http://www.nationalsecurity.gov.au/Securityandyourcommunity/Pages/NationalTerrorismPublicAlertSystem.aspx . The Abbott Government
obviously does not wish to admit that Australia’s involvement in Iraq puts
Australia at greater risk http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/not-our-war-combat-in-iraq--the-key-issues-20140916-10hl7w.html .
But
mission creep towards “boots on the ground” is increasing the risk to Australia.
Abbott will likely deny “boots on the ground” is occurring but as 200 Australian SAS
troops will be in the Iraqi war zone carrying guns (be they Steyrs http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steyr_AUG#Australian or pistols) it
means our troops are engaged in military operations in Iraq. Advising the Iraqi
Army and Kurdish forces is one function while calling in airstrikes of the 8 Australian Super
Hornets is likely. General Dempsey, the American equivalent of our
Chief of the Defence Force, has just left the way open for American boots on
the ground in Iraq http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-09-17/us-general-can-not-rule-out-larger-ground-role-in-iraq/5748888 . It is a given
that Australia, due to alliance loyalty, will adhere to American military
approaches - just as Australia earlier did in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Now
that Australia is again involved in a counter-terrorism war in Iraq indicators of
revenge terrorism include: the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO’s) own formal published assessments; the
assessment of the head of the Australian Federal Police when Australia was last
involved in Iraq; and evidence intercepted in the counter-terrorist Operation Pendennis in Sydney and Melbourne.
ASIO's Formal
Published Assessments
As
Kellie Tranter indicated in an excellent recent article on OLO http://www.onlineopinion.com.au/view.asp?article=16651 the Abbott
Government’s public denial that Australia’s participation Iraq will increase the
risk of terrorism in Australia is unconvincing. ASIO’s most formal public advice
that such a link exists should be acknowledged. Page 2 of the ASIO Report to
Parliament 2012-2013 (PDF file 2.84Mb) http://www.asio.gov.au/img/files/ASIO-Report-to-Parliament-2012-13.pdf assesses “In Australia, there are individuals and
small groups who believe an attack here is justified. Issues such as
Australia’s military deployments over the last decade, the Syrian conflict, or
a belief that the ideals of Australia are in direct conflict with their extreme
interpretation of Islam, fuel the radical views of this cohort.”
This assessment was even more definitely put when
Australia was last in Iraq where our provision of two Hercules transports (like
now) was again a preliminary to “boots” http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Australian_contribution_to_the_2003_invasion_of_Iraq#Post-invasion_operations_-_Operation_Catalyst . Page 17 of ASIO’s Report to Parliament 2004-2005 http://www.asio.gov.au/img/files/ASIOsReportToParliament04-05.pdf: makes the assessment "Most
extremists are influenced by foreign events - some in Australia view the
Coalition action in Iraq as an attack on all Muslims."
This long standing ASIO advice of a linkage may
be inconvenient for Australia’s leaders because it clearly states that our
actions overseas can boost risks at home and dangerously alienate some groups.
Then Head of the
Australian Federal Police’s Assessment
One of Australia’s most influential
Australian Federal Police Commissioners, Mick Keelty, also delivered advice on
revenge terrorism that Tony Abbott’s mentor, John Howard, found inconvenient. On
March 11, 2004 Islamic terrorists set off bombs in Madrid which killed 191
people and wounded 1,800. The bombings were generally considered revenge for
Spain’s participation in the US Coalition of the Willing in Iraq. In 2004
several days after the Madrid bombings Mick Keelty made the observation that
Australia might be at greater risk of terrorism due to Australia’s own role in
Iraq. Keelty’s comments created a political storm. Like today with Abbott it is
not what Prime Minister Howard wanted to hear. It was not a conclusion that the
Australian public could be permitted to draw http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2004/03/16/1079199227687.html .
Keelty was quickly forced to recant.
Nevertheless
Keelty’s view on revenge terrorism was supported by the recently retired peak
counter-terrorism advisers of the US (White House) in 2004 http://www.abc.net.au/am/content/2004/s1101558.htm
and of Britain (MI5) in 2010 http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/nation/six-years-after-public-rap-keelty-judgment-on-terror-upheld/story-e6frg6nf-1225895300565
.
Operation
Pendennis
An
official report http://www.cdpp.gov.au/case-reports/operation-pendennis/ on Operation Pendennis indicates that in November
2005-March 2006 thirteen men were arrested and charged in Melbourne and Sydney with
terrorism offences. Significantly it is stated “One of the objectives discussed
[in intercepts] by the members of the organisation was to engage in an act of
terrorism in Australia, in an effort to influence the Australian government to
withdraw its troops from Iraq and Afghanistan.”
With
Australia ramping up its involvement in Iraq: what ASIO has assessed in the
recent past; what the then head of the AFP said; and, what those found guilty
of terrorism said - should be debated rather than denied. Why is the Abbott
Government denying that its new policies in Iraq are boosting the risk of
revenge terrorism at home? Why is Abbott also denying the increasing signs of
the term “boots on the ground” https://au.news.yahoo.com/a/25020076/islamic-state-tony-abbott-warns-troops-may-be-forced-to-fire-in-iraq-insists-there-is-no-intention-for-combat/ ?
In
the end do we seriously think that after a decade of the US fighting then advising
and arming the failed Iraqi Army our participation in Iraq will make a
difference?
Pete
Dear Pete
ReplyDeleteAssuming for a movement, had the Australian government decided to opt out of the anti-ISIS coalition, would it have made Australia a safer place? The answer is NO. The terror group is hell bent on imposition of Sharia world-wide. Irrespective of what the Australian government does, sooner or later jihadis who have gone from Down Under would return to spread radicalism in Australia. Australia needs to clamp down on all Islamists who try to spread hatred against other faiths and put an end to the "so-called refugees" from the Muslim world.
Radical Muslim groups are able to flourish in the West because of the fundamental freedoms (of speech, expression, etc) that have been given to all citizens and non-citizens alike. This terror is fundamentally different from the terrorism that existed in the seventies and eighties. And hence will have to be dealt with differently.
Regards
Kumar
Hi Kumar
ReplyDeleteThere are always groups of jihadis and other groups in Western countries that pose a level of terrorist threat. However some factors increase the threat.
The comments in my article (from ASIO, AFP, Operation Pendennis, MI5 and White House (counter-terrorism (CT)) all point to military involvement of certain Western countries in Iraq boosting the terrorist threat within those Western countries.
As in India all Muslims in Australia cannot be targetted with harsh CT measures. Democratic freedoms as well as high domestic CT spending is the best long-term defence.
Regards
Pete