Prime Minister Tony Abbott during Question Time. (AAP)
Prime Minister Tony Abbott reportedly considered sending in 3500 Australian troops into Iraq alone to try to stop the advance of Islamic State militants.
The Weekend Australian claims Mr Abbott took the idea to a meeting with the nation’s military planners, who were “stunned” by the proposal and said it would be disastrous if Aussie troops went in alone without backup from NATO or the United States.
The newspaper says Mr Abbott initially put forward the idea to members of his staff, including chief of staff Peta Credlin, during a meeting in Canberra on November 25 where there was no opposition to the plan.
Read more at http://www.9news.com.au/national/2015/02/21/05/54/tony-abbott-suggested-sending-australian-troops-into-iraq#WMbUhWoKOCgcRzA4.99
It was then taken to the military officials, who said Australia would have the only Western soldiers on the ground in Iraq, with the US not even willing to risk ground troops.
A spokesman for Mr Abbott did not confirm the story but said the government continues to monitor the situation in Iraq.
“The Prime Minister has consistently said that the Australian government will continue to talk to the government of Iraq and to our coalition partners about what Australia can usefully do to make the world a safer place and to make Australia a safer country,” the spokesman told the Weekend Australian.
Australian special forces troop in Iraq. (AAP)
The report comes at a difficult time for Mr Abbott, who is desperate to get backbench MPs back onside just weeks after he survived a motion for a leadership spill of the Liberal Party.
source:9news.com.au
STUDIO 3 NEWCASTLE AUSTRALIA 