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Tony Abbott: Military action against Isis will cost half a billion dollars a year Tony Abbott: Military action against Isis will cost half a billion dollars a year
(about 4 hours later)
Australia’s military involvement in Iraq is likely to cost half a billion dollars each year, Tony Abbott has revealed, as he confirmed some personnel had already left for the Middle East.Australia’s military involvement in Iraq is likely to cost half a billion dollars each year, Tony Abbott has revealed, as he confirmed some personnel had already left for the Middle East.
The prime minister said Australian special forces deployed to the region would be armed, but based in Iraqi and Kurdish military headquarters in an advisory role rather than directly fighting in the field against Islamic State (Isis) militants. The prime minister said a conference of 30 nations in Paris on Monday indicated growing international support for action against Islamic State (Isis) militants, with western and Middle Eastern countries among the “coalition of the concerned”.
Abbott said Australian special forces deployed to the region would be armed, but based in Iraqi and Kurdish military headquarters in an advisory role rather than directly fighting in the field against Isis.
Abbott defended Australia’s decision to help transport weapons and other military equipment to the Kurdish Peshmerga fighters in northern Iraq, after reports that the Peshmerga were working closely with the PKK, which is designated by Australia as a terrorist organisation.Abbott defended Australia’s decision to help transport weapons and other military equipment to the Kurdish Peshmerga fighters in northern Iraq, after reports that the Peshmerga were working closely with the PKK, which is designated by Australia as a terrorist organisation.
Fairfax Media cited evidence that the PKK, also known as the Kurdistan Workers Party, was “coordinating closely with Peshmerga forces, undertaking joint military operations and providing covert surveillance of Islamic State (Isis) fighters in several towns and villages around Kurdistan and Iraq”.Fairfax Media cited evidence that the PKK, also known as the Kurdistan Workers Party, was “coordinating closely with Peshmerga forces, undertaking joint military operations and providing covert surveillance of Islamic State (Isis) fighters in several towns and villages around Kurdistan and Iraq”.
Abbott said Australian military personnel would “act as military advisers to the Peshmerga or to the Iraqi security forces, not to that other group”.Abbott said Australian military personnel would “act as military advisers to the Peshmerga or to the Iraqi security forces, not to that other group”.
“We are prepared to act as military advisers to legitimate forces inside Iraq,” he told the ABC on Tuesday. “That’s what we intend to do. In respect of the weapons that we have helped transport into the Kurdish parts of Iraq we’ve been given very strong guarantees that these will only be used by the Kurdish Peshmerga.”“We are prepared to act as military advisers to legitimate forces inside Iraq,” he told the ABC on Tuesday. “That’s what we intend to do. In respect of the weapons that we have helped transport into the Kurdish parts of Iraq we’ve been given very strong guarantees that these will only be used by the Kurdish Peshmerga.”
The prime minister provided an estimate of the likely cost of Australia’s planned involvement in Iraq, which includes potential use of Royal Australian Air Force Super Hornets in air strikes against Isis targets in Iraq.The prime minister provided an estimate of the likely cost of Australia’s planned involvement in Iraq, which includes potential use of Royal Australian Air Force Super Hornets in air strikes against Isis targets in Iraq.
“At the moment we have a commitment in Afghanistan and it’s envisaged that the commitment in Iraq will cost about the same as our commitment in Afghanistan cost and that was in the order of a quarter of a billion dollars every six months, but the final costings are obviously yet to be worked out,” he told radio 3AW. “We don’t have a specific costing but the ballpark is about a quarter of a billion [dollars] every six months,” Abbott said during a media conference in Arnhem Land.
“It’s a significant amount of money but there is a sense in which, when national security is at stake, when Australia is called upon to shoulder our fair share of the world’s burdens, we rally to the cause. We always have and as far as I’m concerned we always will.”
The treasurer, Joe Hockey, said earlier that the financial implications would be dealt with in the mid-year economic and fiscal outlook document and the defence budget had “the capacity to absorb a significant amount of these sorts of costs”.The treasurer, Joe Hockey, said earlier that the financial implications would be dealt with in the mid-year economic and fiscal outlook document and the defence budget had “the capacity to absorb a significant amount of these sorts of costs”.
Australia is deploying to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) up to eight Super Hornet combat aircraft, an early warning and control aircraft, and an aerial refuelling aircraft. About 600 Australian defence force members are being sent to the region, including 400 air personnel and 200 military personnel.Australia is deploying to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) up to eight Super Hornet combat aircraft, an early warning and control aircraft, and an aerial refuelling aircraft. About 600 Australian defence force members are being sent to the region, including 400 air personnel and 200 military personnel.
“Some personnel have left for the Middle East, more personnel will be leaving for the Middle East in the course of the next four to five days,” Abbott said, noting that they would be ready for a subsequent decision to deploy them from the UAE into Iraq. “Some personnel have left for the Middle East, more personnel will be leaving for the Middle East in the course of the next four to five days,” Abbott told radio 3AW, noting that they would be ready for a subsequent decision to deploy them from the UAE into Iraq.
In several radio interviews on Tuesday morning, Abbott emphasised that Australia and other countries joining the fight against Isis in Iraq would be doing so at the invitation of the Iraqi government and therefore a United Nations security council resolution was not needed.In several radio interviews on Tuesday morning, Abbott emphasised that Australia and other countries joining the fight against Isis in Iraq would be doing so at the invitation of the Iraqi government and therefore a United Nations security council resolution was not needed.
The prime minister acknowledged that the situation in Syria was different and declined to speculate on the possibility of a resolution at the security council meeting to be chaired by Barack Obama and attended by Abbott next week.The prime minister acknowledged that the situation in Syria was different and declined to speculate on the possibility of a resolution at the security council meeting to be chaired by Barack Obama and attended by Abbott next week.
“President Obama has certainly indicated that US forces will strike [Isis] inside Syria if needs be; that is not Australia’s intention at this time,” he told the ABC.“President Obama has certainly indicated that US forces will strike [Isis] inside Syria if needs be; that is not Australia’s intention at this time,” he told the ABC.
“I don’t rule it out but it’s not our intention at this time because … the legalities of operating inside Syria, which is ungoverned space with a regime we don’t actually recognise … are quite different from the legalities of operating inside Iraq at the request and in support of the Iraqi government.”“I don’t rule it out but it’s not our intention at this time because … the legalities of operating inside Syria, which is ungoverned space with a regime we don’t actually recognise … are quite different from the legalities of operating inside Iraq at the request and in support of the Iraqi government.”
Abbott was asked about the contrast between Obama’s intention to arm the Free Syrian Army while it remained an offence under Australian law for citizens to fight for that body.Abbott was asked about the contrast between Obama’s intention to arm the Free Syrian Army while it remained an offence under Australian law for citizens to fight for that body.
He said Australia’s general position was that people “should not go overseas to fight with forces that are not the properly constituted armed forces of a state that Australia recognises”.He said Australia’s general position was that people “should not go overseas to fight with forces that are not the properly constituted armed forces of a state that Australia recognises”.
“The last thing I want to do is speculate about what may or may not happen and shades of grey when it comes to these different organisations,” he said, adding that amendments to foreign fighter laws would be presented to parliament in coming weeks.“The last thing I want to do is speculate about what may or may not happen and shades of grey when it comes to these different organisations,” he said, adding that amendments to foreign fighter laws would be presented to parliament in coming weeks.
Abbott said Australia’s engagement in Iraq was “best described as a mission rather than a war” because it was “not fighting another country; we’re fighting the terrorists of the [Isis] death cult”.Abbott said Australia’s engagement in Iraq was “best described as a mission rather than a war” because it was “not fighting another country; we’re fighting the terrorists of the [Isis] death cult”.
There was a “world of difference” between undertaking combat operations in a country with full support of that country and fighting another country in a war, Abbott told 3AW.There was a “world of difference” between undertaking combat operations in a country with full support of that country and fighting another country in a war, Abbott told 3AW.
Abbott has defined the objective of the mission as helping Iraq’s national and regional authorities maintain internal security and to “dislodge” Isis militants. At a later media conference Abbott said the operations would be “conducted forcefully by Australia and by our allies and partners” but the mission was “fundamentally humanitarian: to protect the people of Iraq and the people of the wider world from this murderous death cult”.
The opposition leader, Bill Shorten, who has backed the government’s decisions, laid out some parameters for Labor’s support after a West Australian-based backbencher, Melissa Parke, expressed concern about the risk of “mission creep”.The opposition leader, Bill Shorten, who has backed the government’s decisions, laid out some parameters for Labor’s support after a West Australian-based backbencher, Melissa Parke, expressed concern about the risk of “mission creep”.
Parke, a former aid worker and UN lawyer, told the ABC she was “very concerned that the government has so quickly escalated Australia’s involvement in Iraq from strictly humanitarian protection, to now committing Australia to what appears to be an open-ended war that will only increase the security threat to Australians – a threat that is already heightened by our involvement in the 2003 Iraq debacle”.Parke, a former aid worker and UN lawyer, told the ABC she was “very concerned that the government has so quickly escalated Australia’s involvement in Iraq from strictly humanitarian protection, to now committing Australia to what appears to be an open-ended war that will only increase the security threat to Australians – a threat that is already heightened by our involvement in the 2003 Iraq debacle”.
Shorten said his party was “united in promoting national security” but had made it clear that it did not want Australian combat troops and formed up units directly engaging in combat with Isis.Shorten said his party was “united in promoting national security” but had made it clear that it did not want Australian combat troops and formed up units directly engaging in combat with Isis.
Labor also wanted Australian military operations to be confined to the territory of Iraq and air offensive operations “should only continue as long as is necessary to place the Iraqi government and their forces in a position to be able to ensure the security of their country”.Labor also wanted Australian military operations to be confined to the territory of Iraq and air offensive operations “should only continue as long as is necessary to place the Iraqi government and their forces in a position to be able to ensure the security of their country”.
“I sympathise with the anxiety which Melissa Parke has expressed, that matters are moving very quickly, and again I express my horror, too, at the murder of aid workers who go to these countries to help people, not to be harmed themselves,” Shorten told the ABC. “But I do believe the Labor party recognises that this is not the same as the 2003 Gulf war.”“I sympathise with the anxiety which Melissa Parke has expressed, that matters are moving very quickly, and again I express my horror, too, at the murder of aid workers who go to these countries to help people, not to be harmed themselves,” Shorten told the ABC. “But I do believe the Labor party recognises that this is not the same as the 2003 Gulf war.”
Shorten said Australia could not ignore the threat posed by Isis as he had been convinced by confidential briefings “that what happens in northern Iraq and Syria has repercussions for our safety in Australia”.Shorten said Australia could not ignore the threat posed by Isis as he had been convinced by confidential briefings “that what happens in northern Iraq and Syria has repercussions for our safety in Australia”.
Abbott said he understood why Australians were “anxious about anything that looks like Australia reaching out to this conflict” but the conflict was “reaching out to us” as 60 Australians were believed to be fighting with terrorist groups in Iraq and Syria.