Syria, Iraq & ISIL
It concerns me that Australia is becoming involved in another war in countries that have not attacked us.
I am against Australians invading another country as I consider it makes us more prone to terrorist attacks.
Of course I understand that others will naturally disagree, but leaving aside the politics I would be interested to hear the different views on the subject.
It could be resoved by letting Israel settle in top part of Australia - then we would be protected.
Sensible comment..take Israel out of the Middle East and we shall all be protected. A region in Africa was also suggested years ago.
As sensible as taking England out of Grt.Britain to appease the Scots.
The United Nations has not suggested or asked Australia to go and invade another country so why are we doing that ? It does make us more prone to terrorist attacks.
"However, an Indonesian terrorism researcher who runs an anti-radicalisation programs for terrorists has warned that Australian military involvement in Iraq risks making Australians a target again." ABC
The pollies should lead by example and send their sons and daughters. When trouble comes to your door..you deal with it. Why go out of your way to make trouble.
You may have struck a brilliant idea there Seth, take England out of Great Britain and I think you would have some mighty happy Scots, Irish and Welsh.
You would have delirious happy English who would be the richest in Europe and permanent conservative govt .
What are you smoking now Pete? you seem to be in 'Happy Land
The labor party only ever get elected to Whitehall is that Scotland sends Labor MPst to Whitehall .
The Sctotish MPs vote on English laws English MPs don't vote on Scottish laws..
if England did not subsidies Scotland they would be richer.
@in line with my views of devolving power in Australia to the States I see no alternative but to do the same in the UK
Sorry I meant to say the only reason labour achieve a majority in Whitehall is Scottish labor MPs..
Crikey paywall
It is worth a moment to consider why countries with more reason and proximity to the area of concern are not contributing to the effort. More to the point is why the nations that helped the birth of ISIS by invading Iraq think a repeat will solve anything.
" Meantime, it's unclear exactly what countries in the region, other than Iran -- which is doing the heavy lifting against IS outside the north of Iraq -- are doing. These are countries that notionally are under greater threat from IS than countries rushing to the fight, like Australia. But Turkey has outright refused to join the coalition (variously "core", "broad") against IS, and won't even let the US operate air missions from its territory. Given the PKK group, which is at war with Turkey, is one of the direct beneficiaries of the West's intervention in Iraq, that's not especially surprising. Qatar, one of the key sources of IS funding, hasn't even agreed to put a proper stop to the flow of money.
Another key source of IS funding, Saudi Arabia, has offered to help train moderate Syrian rebels (which helps with its goal of destroying the Assad regime) and allow its bases to be used to launch airstrikes, but is strangely reluctant to commit its own military resources, which are substantial enough to be used to invade Bahrain in 2011 to crush pro-democracy protests. Meantime, late last week the Saudis beheaded another prisoner, the 46th this year.
Why a band of barbaric religious extremists beheading people is considered casus belli when an entire government of barbaric religious extremists beheading people goes unremarked is one of the many confusing characteristics of the bizarre tragedy into which the Prime Minister is enthusiastically leading us. "
France is bombing the IS from Turkish bases . We will be from pour base in Dubai?
This gives a bit of insight as to "Who is doing what in the coalition
battle against ISIS ?"
I have said before that I have a lot of time for Andrew Wilke.
The following is a short extract from his statement today reported by the ABC
"Independent MP Andrew Wilkie says John Howard should be "deeply ashamed" for sending Australian troops to Iraq in 2003, adding that the military action allowed for the rise of groups like Islamic State.
Mr Howard told the Seven Network he was "embarrassed" when he learned there were no weapons of mass destruction in Iraq, which was the basis for his decision to back the invasion.
Mr Wilkie, a former intelligence analyst, today said the former prime minister should face prosecution in the International Criminal Court over the decision"
I agree
Good old honest John admits he is not infallible . Pity more PMs are not like him. I am glad we saved the marsh Arabs and the Kurds from the mass destruction of Gas.°
the same as now hopefully we can avoid a massacre . Turkey already has a million refugees flowing across its borders to escape the IS..
Those very Kurds we saved are now on the frontline fighting ISIS
Andrew Wilkie is a traitor
A revisionist . Knowing what we know now I wouldn't have involved Australia in the second Iraq war . Let them slaughter each other,
Yeah using his distorted logic, we shouldn't have got involved in the first and Second World War
Or East Timor (East East)
the mans an idiot
I think he may have broken the Official Secrets Act.
Wilke was an intelligence officer in the office of National Assesment . A civil servant that was one source of advise to our elected Representetuves . Who make decisions on our behalf after considering all advise.
He has revealed information given to the elected government . He should face prosecution..
"It’s just bad luck, I guess, that the religion of peace attracts so many people of violence."
Tim Blair, SDT
This link will present the latest update on the situation of this confected, hyped up, over reported, paranoid status we should live in cause it's good for this govt. Oh, and many thanks to the AFP for arranging live TV coverage of their very secret shenanigans and trusting us to view their exploits without moving into apoplexy or some bladder release.
Oh dear, whatever happened to the budget crisis, I've lost it somewhere.
Still there and still being dealt with ..,
haha , I like that lunar dog
Me too. Particularly love this bit:
"Your way of life is about to be endangered by your government declaring your way of life is endangered".
Says it all!
Saudi has 30000 soldiers protecting her and last week they paid 3 billion dollars to France for weapons - just google it .
America always leads and we always follow because we "think" usa will be there when needed .
Are you aware what happened when we fought Indonesians in the jungles of Malaya? we asked but they did not come.
Actually WW11 started in 1939 but when did America enter ? To help us or because of Pearl Harbour
I cannot understand why we are so afraid - seems that most terrorists follow islam so if muslims follow islam then there must be some connection.
We never say anything about their teachings and not many take time to read about their belief.
Islam is a political religion and it is not difficult to understand that their laws are more important to them than our laws.
Usually people migrate to have a better life but it seems that muslims migrate and bring their problems with them.
Why are their homelands so troubled if islam is as loving as they tell us. They tear themselves apart so can we expect that eventually that will happen here.
Have you noticed that canada does not track usa as close as we do?
just my opinion and I do value yours
peter
The Brits were fighting in Malaysia with Austrslias help and won.first against the Chinese communists and second I confrontasis.
We are still part of a den
What on earth are you saying?
Sorry had bit of a panic with my daughter all fixed .
I was replying to one of Peters points about the Americans not assisting in Mslaysia .
and to finish we are still part of a tripartite agreement with UK Guarnteeing Malaysia security .
Andrew Bolt and sources. Andrew Bolt used his blog yesterday to attack Muslims and journalists who support individual freedoms in the face of government attacks, including Wendy Bacon and Crikey's own Bernard Keane for suggesting the government had embraced national security as a means of distraction from its domestic political difficulties, saying we were peddling “a conspiracy so barking mad that you’d have to think the US, Britain, France, Italy and Saudi Arabia were all donating their armed forces to this war, too”.
Sadly for Bolt, even a quick Google would have told him Australia's dear allies the Saudis -- also noted for their beheading prowess -- have as yet committed no armed forces against IS. Not a plane, not a soldier. And if Bolt wants a source he can trust on that, he could ask one of his proprietors, News Corp’s second biggest shareholder, Saudi Prince Al- Waleed Bin Talal Al Saud (yes folks, never forget News Corp and 21st Century Fox are both US-Saudi controlled companies). Al-Waleed told CNN on the weekend that despite having 135,000 troops, boots on the ground was the not “the way forward for his country”. He said: "I think Saudi Arabia will not be involved directly in fighting Isis in Iraq or Syria, because this does not really affect our country explicitly.” Facts, of course, aren't things that really affect Bolt explicitly, either.
Tell us Geomac what do you want? Do you want us Australia not to help the Kurds and Iraq govt . With training and Planes ..
Pete, now were helping the Kurds, where were we when Turkey, Syria and Iraq, [who had divided 'Kurdistan'between themselves} classed them as terrorists just for trying to regain their country, and killing them.
Seth there has not been a Kurdistan to divide the Kurds as a people live over four countries besides the three you mention their is Iran .
I think we are now helping the Kurds and the Iraq govt to defeat the IS not to give Kurds a state .
Now Saudi and Jordan and Oman have joined the US and the French .
The problem we will never solve is the differences between Sects and the Jews .
So I hope this action is limited . And swift .
Seth I watched a programme called Kokoda on TV last night and its on again next week . I learned so much ., those poor Choco soldiers like lambs to the slaughter.
Yes Pete if my memory is correct, I think it was the 39th batt, The 6th Div eventually took over, the kokoda was just one of similar actions, one of which was the 6th div advancing from Aitape to Wewak , through swamps and rivers, two words the sergeant called out still makes my hair stand on edge.
Yes Seth it was The 39th A CMF battalion the 6th an AIF got there at the last minute and they retreated together .,
bloody Baliney it appears was a Animal .,
the Series is just at the point where the Japanese can see the lights of Port Morsby.,
Don't hold us in suspense Seth
What were those 2 words ?
Fix baynets?
Latrine Duty......
so now what do you all say - the arabs have joined the Crusaders - now the sparks should fly and Pete the Yanks refused to assist us in the Malay fight - we asked - its history
Peter
you've been carrying around that dead fish for months now.
i can smell it from here!
I don't think it would have been Australia but Britain..And they did better in Malaya than the yanks in Vietnam ..
Peter if we stop and listen we gave some very unusual and interesting people on here.
Twila was there .,,Seth was there ..
Solly and I could tell you stories but we are restrained by the official secrets act.,
Solomon -the fish is plastic - made in China i am more concerned about Pete's shot and your loking just a shadow of yourself
have a great day
regards
peter
Aw Pete that's just my baby girl with her mate .They have started a cult at their school of AFL . Which is really unknown in a genteel girls school .
I am more interested in your knee jerk anti American . I thought that cultural cringe had died out in the 60s ..
australiais all growd up now we have our own interests beholden to no one .
As much as some older Australians yearn for the old days .
I think it was Twila who said you can't change history .
you know whatThe hardest thing to do is , put yourself into the time ,
And I am incognito.
There are a few anti Israeli spies on here.
if you ever come across someone called Mussitate, run for dear life
Yes but we can be left hand right hand and posting on the wrong thread is one . I am sure Eveyone is now confused . Good craft my son .
Are you talking to me or speaking as me.
Sometimes even I'm confused.
Having said that, next time I'm in Oz and in Sydeny, we should have a glass of Shiraz or Semillion Blanc
We'd have to get you checked out at the local synagogue first, just to be sure you're kosher
I dunno nuffink .. Good idea for a vino on red these days for health reasons.
I keep telling you the English are the Jews of Europe .
na I am not anti anybody - have just finished reading Malcolm Frazer's latest book and am just suprised that members of this forum know more about Australia than an ex PM thats all .
Have a nice day
peter
We have to be involved because of our signed treaties.
Australia can't protect it's self from any attack from our neighbours as you well know.