The setting is important. It doesn’t matter if the mission, the strategy or outcome is unclear: the show is the important thing, particularly for politicians who have otherwise shown a remarkable incapacity for leadership. This is Team Abbott’s show. The roll of drums, Australian boots on the ground, jets in the air, sniffer dogs at the footy. Leadership at last.
Surely we have a duty to ourselves to focus on addressing and understanding the point of incubation” – the cause, the why, the condition. Otherwise, we’ve learnt nothing from a long and sorry history of misconceived Middle East adventurism.The reflex position being 'ask the Americans'.
Abbott and the director general of security David Irvine have pointed to three sources of perceived threat: people fighting in the Middle East who might return to Australia wanting to do wicked things; people who are already back here after being engaged in the war; people who haven’t been anywhere but might want to do bad things on home soil.
We have saddled up knowing nothing of the historical or cultural context of what has gripped northern Iraq and Syria. No one in the war party has made the most cursory attempt to get to grips with the forces that are at play. The opposition tags along for fear of being outgunned in this war of overwrought opportunism. At the same time Scott Morrison, who has somehow interposed himself as some sort of security saviour, has been sending Iraqi and Syrian asylum seekers back to their disturbed homelands as if they were perfectly safe.
The prospect of a 'lone wolf' attack is not a fresh danger and it doesn’t need the security alert to shift a notch. It certainly won’t be overcome by sending forces into an impenetrable tribal and religious war – in fact, that engagement will significantly increase the prospect of a threat on home soil. Abbott has reassured us that a terror attack is not imminent. On Friday he said: “we have no specific intelligence of particular plots”
Those returning home if dedicated ISIL supporters would have stayed. If disappointed they have escaped. ISIL is security conscious and don't wish their fighters a fond farewell, thank you. Debriefed these retunees are a possible resource rather persons to be further demoralised by us. ISIL has more need for it's dedicated fighters to help achieve their immediate goals which are in the Middle East.
Why are we there because we promised unquestionable alliegence to America. It's the agreement the pivot of the pacific Tony Abbott made. Surrounded by Sunni Muslims to our North the most likely 'lone wolves' will direct their anger at Australian travellers. This Abbott conveniently fails to address. Is he going to address Australians and warn them off going to Indonesia, Malaysia and Southern Thailand ? We are facing an unconsidered situation head on, thank you Mr Abbott.
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