Australian armed forces prepare for war

Australia’s mission in Iraq is ramping up with cabinet expected to sign off on deploying troops and give the go-ahead for air strikes within days.

Foreign Minister Julie Bishop says mentoring Iraqi and Kurdish forces remains the focus, but she hasn’t ruled out Australian military or humanitarian involvement in Syria.

The federal government national security committee and cabinet will meet early this week to discuss Australia’s role in the conflict in Iraq, with the timing of a decision to go forward just a ‘question of days’, Foreign Minister Julie Bishop said.

‘I stress that we first need a specific request from the Iraqi government and we need to ensure that all the legal requirements are in place. So this could take a while.’ Ms Bishop told Sky News.

Ms Bishop said the United States had requested an indication of the military hardware and personnel Australia could provide ‘in general terms’.’But we haven’t been asked to specifically undertake a particular mission yet.’ she said.

‘The United States and the Iraqi government are well aware of our capability and our capacity and they’ll take that into account,’ she told Sky News, but added that there were many other willing partners in this coalition, and that Australia’s role would be ‘proportionate.

‘RAAF Super Hornet jets are meanwhile on standby in the United Arab Emirates pending the decision on targeted strikes in Iraq’s north where IS, or ISIL, has have carved out territory in a bloody campaign of terror against local populations.

Prime Minister Tony Abbott, who returned from security talks at the United Nations on the weekend, says the jets aren’t in the UAE merely for an exercise, and targets will be based on advice from the US-led coalition and the Iraqi government.

Mr Abbott says it’s important to do act as part of a coalition and the government will be making further decisions in the coming days.Speculation is also rife that a new homeland security department may be created as part of Australia’s counter terrorism response, to be headed by one of the government’s star performers, Immigration Minister Scott Morrison.

The super department would take in responsibilities from the defence and attorney general portfolios, with Defence Minister David Johnston being touted in media reports as the most likely casualty of any reshuffle.

Prime Minister Tony Abbott flew into Canberra yesterday after attending a United Nations security council meeting and meeting with world leaders over four days in New York.

The US visit was dominated by the threat of IS, or ISIL, which has taken territory in northern Iraq through a bloody campaign against local populations and has a foothold in Syria.

Defence Minister David Johnston over the weekend met with the Haider al-Abadi government in Baghdad, in an effort to finalise the legal framework for Australia’s involvement in the US-led coalition campaign against IS.Australia has sent a 600-strong force – including eight RAAF Super Hornets and a special forces contingent to advise Iraqi forces – to Camp Baird in the United Arab Emirates in readiness for the deployment.

The involvement of Australia would be a further escalation of the conflict, after the US widened its air strikes against IS in Syria, and British planes joined the fight in Iraq after approval from the UK parliament.

Ms Bishop again played down talk of Australia also becoming involved in Syria, saying it had only been asked to support the Iraqi government.However, she said if there was a request to join in the Syria attacks the government would consider it.Labor has backed a deployment to Iraq but opposed any involvement in Syria.

Its assistant defence spokesman David Feeney questioned the legalities of war in Syria, given Australia doesn’t recognise the Assad regime.’The onus would be on government to explain to the nation, and indeed the opposition, how it is that Australia playing a role in Syria helps,’ he told Sky News.

Meanwhile, SAS hero and Victoria Cross recipient Ben Roberts-Smith has given his support to Australia’s involvement against the ‘inhumane’ IS.’They probably don’t deserve to share the earth with the rest of humanity,’ he told News Corp Australia.

source: skynews.com.au