Rotovia-
05-07-2007, 13:31
At what point did conservatives start admitting the insults we've been slinging at them...?
Mid East oil crucial to our future: PM
Thursday Jul 5 12:15 AEST
The Middle East is crucial to Australia's strategic and economic future, Prime Minister John Howard said in a major speech outlining his government's foreign policy direction.
In an address to the Australian Strategic Policy Institute in Canberra on Thursday, Mr Howard highlighted the fight against terrorism and the need to secure a major oil supply as reasons to stay the course in Iraq.
He warned there would be "no holiday" from the struggle against terrorism which had its genesis in Islamic extremism.
"Islamist terrorism will remain a threat to Australia, to Australian interests and to our allies, globally and in South East Asia," he said.
Mr Howard said many strategic challenges including terrorism, demand for energy resources and competition between rival powers converged in the Middle East.
His speech came as the government released an update of Australia's defence priorities.
"Our major ally and our most important economic partners have crucial interests there," Mr Howard said.
"In these circumstances it is all the more critical that the coalition succeed in establishing a stable democratic Iraq that is capable of defending itself against al Qaeda and the internal enemies that wish to tear it apart.
"Despite the dreadful continuing violence and our frustration at the rate of political progress, the government remains committed to staying in Iraq with our coalition partners until the Iraqi security forces no longer require our support.
"The consequences of western failure and defeat in Iraq are too serious to allow our policy to be dictated by weariness, frustration or political convenience."
While India and China were emerging as global powers, the US would not lose its predominant global position, he said.
"We are unlikely to see the emergence of a serious rival to liberal market-based democracy as an organising principle," he said.
However, there was a danger globalisation would facilitate terrorism and transnational crime and spark a resurgence of protectionist policies that could lead to disputes over commodities like oil.
"It will remain the case that, because of our size and location, Australia cannot afford to wait until security threats reach our shores before we do anything about them," he said.
"Whether in Afghanistan or Iraq, it would not only run counter to our national interests, but also to our national character to let (terrorists) prevail."
Intelligence assessments indicated Australia was likely to be called on to take the lead in a range of possible missions in the region over the coming years, he said.
Mr Howard said Labor had a long record of neglecting defence.
Australian Greens leader Bob Brown said Mr Howard's admission that the invasion of Iraq was linked to securing the oil supply is damning.
"Prime Minister John Howard's belated admission that the invasion of Iraq is linked to the major stake of energy dependency underlines his dishonesty in 2003," Senator Brown said in a statement.
"Saddam Hussein's oil, not weapons of mass destruction, was in the Bush-Blair-Howard mindset in this monumental mistake which has cost a reported 67,000 civilian lives.
"It has boosted global terrorism and undermined Australia's homeland security.
"Mr Howard has put oil corporations' interests ahead of Australians' domestic security."
©AAP 2007
Mid East oil crucial to our future: PM
Thursday Jul 5 12:15 AEST
The Middle East is crucial to Australia's strategic and economic future, Prime Minister John Howard said in a major speech outlining his government's foreign policy direction.
In an address to the Australian Strategic Policy Institute in Canberra on Thursday, Mr Howard highlighted the fight against terrorism and the need to secure a major oil supply as reasons to stay the course in Iraq.
He warned there would be "no holiday" from the struggle against terrorism which had its genesis in Islamic extremism.
"Islamist terrorism will remain a threat to Australia, to Australian interests and to our allies, globally and in South East Asia," he said.
Mr Howard said many strategic challenges including terrorism, demand for energy resources and competition between rival powers converged in the Middle East.
His speech came as the government released an update of Australia's defence priorities.
"Our major ally and our most important economic partners have crucial interests there," Mr Howard said.
"In these circumstances it is all the more critical that the coalition succeed in establishing a stable democratic Iraq that is capable of defending itself against al Qaeda and the internal enemies that wish to tear it apart.
"Despite the dreadful continuing violence and our frustration at the rate of political progress, the government remains committed to staying in Iraq with our coalition partners until the Iraqi security forces no longer require our support.
"The consequences of western failure and defeat in Iraq are too serious to allow our policy to be dictated by weariness, frustration or political convenience."
While India and China were emerging as global powers, the US would not lose its predominant global position, he said.
"We are unlikely to see the emergence of a serious rival to liberal market-based democracy as an organising principle," he said.
However, there was a danger globalisation would facilitate terrorism and transnational crime and spark a resurgence of protectionist policies that could lead to disputes over commodities like oil.
"It will remain the case that, because of our size and location, Australia cannot afford to wait until security threats reach our shores before we do anything about them," he said.
"Whether in Afghanistan or Iraq, it would not only run counter to our national interests, but also to our national character to let (terrorists) prevail."
Intelligence assessments indicated Australia was likely to be called on to take the lead in a range of possible missions in the region over the coming years, he said.
Mr Howard said Labor had a long record of neglecting defence.
Australian Greens leader Bob Brown said Mr Howard's admission that the invasion of Iraq was linked to securing the oil supply is damning.
"Prime Minister John Howard's belated admission that the invasion of Iraq is linked to the major stake of energy dependency underlines his dishonesty in 2003," Senator Brown said in a statement.
"Saddam Hussein's oil, not weapons of mass destruction, was in the Bush-Blair-Howard mindset in this monumental mistake which has cost a reported 67,000 civilian lives.
"It has boosted global terrorism and undermined Australia's homeland security.
"Mr Howard has put oil corporations' interests ahead of Australians' domestic security."
©AAP 2007