“I want to make it very clear that the consolidation of a terrorist state in eastern Syria and northern Iraq would be a catastrophe for the world, it would be a disaster for Australia”, he told reporters in Perth. “We are thankful but it needs to happen faster”, he said.
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Turkey was expected to participate in air strikes against ISIL in Syria after it reached a deal with the United States on greater participation in the campaign against the group.
In this week’s safe and secure report, national correspondent Jeff Barnd takes a look at terrain claimed by ISIS past year, and the alarming amount of real estate gained by the Islamic state, since. In Syria, eight air strikes hit near Al Hasaka, Aleppo and Kobani, destroying fighting positions and machine guns, it said.
The focus of the U.S. program is the fight against ISIS, and many rebels have publicly complained that they do not wish to endure the lengthy vetting process if they cannot attack the Syrian revolution’s primary adversary, the Assad regime.
Australia has received a formal request from the US to expand its role in the fight against the dreaded Islamic State militant group in Syria.
Cabinet minister Christopher Pyne told journalists the government was yet to reach a decision on the request. Some fear that the lira will lead to the domination of rebel held northern areas by Turkey, with more nationalist-minded rebels seeing it as a plan hatched by the AKP and rebel factions funded by the Turkish state.
Most US aerial combat missions over Iraq and Syria are being flown from more distant air bases in Qatar and elsewhere in the Persian Gulf region.
U.S. intelligence says even after a year of the U.S. bombing campaign and some success on the ground by Iraqi forces, Islamic State is no weaker today than last September.
“That’s only one part of what we need Turkey to do and what Turkey has indicated some willingness to do”, he added.
However, Defence’s Joint Chief of Operations David Johnston said Australia joining airstrikes in Syria would not be a “game changer” against ISIS.
Asked if Australia should be dropping aid to victims of the conflict, rather than bombs, Plibersek said it wasn’t a case of one or the other.
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Support for the operation in Iraq has been bipartisan, however Labor has called for lengthy cross party consultation to be had before any expansion is decided on. CNN this week posted a video interview with a fighter in the unit, in which he expressed the need for the U.S.to provide training at a quicker pace.
