U.S. to increase military presence in Australia
US President Barack Obama speaks during a media conference at a G20 summit in Cannes, France on Friday, Nov. 4, 2011. Leaders from within troubled Europe and far beyond are working Friday on ways the International Monetary Fund could do more to calm Europe's debt crisis. / AP Photo/Michel Spingler
US President Barack Obama speaks during a media conference at a G20 summit in Cannes, France on , Nov. 4, 2011.
/ AP Photo/Michel SpinglerThe Obama administration and Australian officials are completing final details of a plan for an increased U.S. military presence "down under." Diplomatic sources say the formal announcement will come when President Obama visits Darwin next week.
U.S.officials declined comment on the timing of the announcement but National Security Council spokesman Tommy Vietor noted work, "was underway to develop options to align our respective force postures in ways that would benefit the national security of both countries." He said options discussed by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Defense Secretary Leon Panetta and their Australian counterparts remained "under consideration."
At a September meeting, the U.S. and Australian officials discussed "a number of options aimed at positioning the military forces of both nations to respond in a timely and effective way to contingencies, including humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, and to enhance their ability to work with the armed forces of regional partners."
In a pre-trip briefing, Deputy National Security Advisor Ben Rhodes said the president would use the brief stop in Australia to emphasize "the U.S. presence in the region and our commitment to the region."
The Australian newspaper "The Age" reports the agreement will see U.S.Marines rotate through an Australian base in Darwin in "a permanent new military presence."
President Obama and Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard plan a joint appearance at an Australian military base in Darwin next Thursday. The Australian government's announcement of Mr. Obama's first trip to the country as president noted, "The United States is Australia's closest ally and partner. The Alliance is fundamental to Australia's security and a cornerstone of stability in the Asia-Pacific region."
Australia's Ambassador to the U.S. Kim Beazley, a former defense minister, recently told reporters the Obama visit would "rev up" activities beneath the surface" including trade, diplomacy and intelligence sharing.
Beijing will likely view the U.S.-Australian announcement as provocative. China has been flexing its military muscle in the South China Sea with an increased naval presence.
Publicly, U.S.and Australian officials have downplayed the stepped up military cooperation as a response to China's actions but President Obama is expected to use next week's summit with Southeast Asia leaders in Indonesia to emphasize the importance of open international access to the South China Sea. The issue will likely surface when the President meets with Chinese President Hu Jintao at a weekend meeting in Honolulu.
Popular in Politics
- For GOP, scandals could be an electoral plus - or minus 317 Comments
- IRS targeting overlooked biggest soft money groups
- Officials on Benghazi: "We made mistakes, but without malice" 332 Comments
- Romney condemns "breach of trust" in Washington 113 Comments
- Republicans use IRS scandal to tar Obamacare
- Where is the Benghazi cover-up Republicans promised? 406 Comments
- Ousted IRS chief: "I did not mislead" the American people 261 Comments
- Why Obama should worry that current scandals might impact 2016 242 Comments
No. US marines are not the finest in the US. We have better.
---
Do tell.
Who might that be?
.
God bless all of our troops!!
.
.
The stationing of Marines appears to me to be preparation for the possibillity of failed states, such as Fiji, in the South Pacific.
U.S. Marines, the finest warriors in the world bar none, would be a tremendous resource in the event law and order needed to be re-established in such a scenario.
In such a scenario, failing to re-establish effective governance would provide terrorists in the region with a platform of operations.
"In June this year (2007), 26,000 US and Australian troops will take part in bombarding the ancient fragile landscape of Australia. They will storm the Great Barrier Reef, gun down "terrorists" and fire laser-guided missiles at some of the most pristine wilderness on earth. Stealth, B-1 and B-52 bombers (the latter alone each carry 30 tonnes of bombs) will finish the job, along with a naval onslaught. Underwater depth charges will explode where endangered species of turtle breed. Nuclear submarines will discharge their high-level sonar, which destroy the hearing of seals and other marine mammals.
Run via satellite from Australia and Hawaii, Operation Talisman Sabre 2007 is warfare by remote control, designed for "pre-emptive" attacks on other countries. Australians know little about this. The Australian parliament has not debated it; the media is not interested. The result of a secret treaty signed by John Howard's government with the Bush administration in 2004, it includes the establishment of a vast, new military base in Western Australia, which will bring the total of known US bases around the world to 738. No matter the setback in Iraq, the US military empire and its ambitions are growing."
We don't need more presence - we have more than enough.
In AU, at Pine Gap there's a strategic US military intel base. The US has a military air base at Tidbinbulla. AU's existing training facilities at Delamere are often used by US forces for bombing training & Shoalwater Bay is used for US jungle training.
Australia hosts outposts of the US airforce's Military Airlift Command (MAC) at Richmond, Learmouth, Pearce and Salisbury. US forces already utilise Australia's airforce bases in Darwin, Williamtown, Townsville, Cape York & the Kimberley.
Further, the US uses Australian Navy bases at Stirling, Sydney & Jervis Bay. There's also a maritime signals & electronic war outlet used by the US at Cabarlah.
The US runs the airforce & communication towers at North West Cape as well as a solar observatory which (while currently inactive) can be put back into service if/when needed.
If that wasn't enough, all Australian military airports & seaports are to be put at the disposal of the US military should the need arise.
As much as I like Americans, with all due respect the last thing we need in Australia is even more military muscle on top of what we already have.
Thanks to our war mongering politicans Oz & the US are a lot closer than most people know, even though the 2 countries are geographically thousands of miles apart.