Considering Australia’s strong economic ties to the Chinese I will be surprised if they commit to supporting freedom of navigation patrols in the SCS. These calls to strike Australian ships I believe is just a signal from the Chinese to the Australians to stay out of this dispute in response to the US request for freedom of navigation patrols:
China’s state-run Global Times has published an editorial attacking Australia for supporting the recent international ruling on China’s activities in the South China Sea and called for strikes on any Australian ships which might undertake “freedom-of-navigation” activities in the region.
The editorial said Australia “is not even a ‘paper tiger’, it’s only a ‘paper cat’ at best”. It says that even though “Australia calls itself a principled country… when it needs to please Washington, it demonstrates willingness of doing anything in a show of allegiance”.
As a result, the Global Times says (our emphasis):
China must take revenge and let it know it’s wrong. Australia’s power means nothing compared to the security of China. If Australia steps into the South China Sea waters, it will be an ideal target for China to warn and strike.
Earlier this year, the Commander of the US Seventh Fleet, Vice Admiral Joseph P Aucoin, said it would be in the “best interests” of the region if Australia was to send ships to within 12 miles of the disputed area. Australia has so far not sent any of its ships there. [Business Insider]
In honor of the recent Aussie casualty in Afghanistan, here is a great song by Beccy Cole in support of our great allies in the Australian Defence Force:
It is actually amazing and a testament to the quality of the Australian Defence Force considering the continuous combat operations they have been part of in Afghanistan for years now that they have experienced only their second combat casualty:
AN Australian soldier has been killed and another seriously injured in a roadside bomb attack in Afghanistan.
The soldier, whose name has not been released, is the first Australian to die from a direct enemy attack in Afghanistan or Iraq. His body will be returned home under constant escort.
"We’re now working on arrangements to bring the body of the fallen soldier back to Australia," Australian Defence Force (ADF) chief Air Chief Marshal Angus Houston said.
"This will be by ADF or permanently chartered ADF aircraft and his body will be under constant escort by ADF personnel."
The Australian Defence Force (ADF) confirmed last night a group of Australians had been patrolling an area of Oruzgan province when they were targeted by militants who detonated an improvised explosive device (IED) next to their vehicle. [AAP]
The first ADF casualty was in February 2002 when a SAS soldier was killed by a landmine. The soldier killed this time is the first soldier killed in direct attack by the enemy. The soldier was part of a security detachment protecting an Australian engineer taskforce on a reconstruction mission in Oruzgan province. The Australians have come under increasing attacks from the Taliban as the taskforce continues to make progress in their reconstruction mission.
Additionally the Taliban may also be trying to test Australian political will to continue the mission before Australia’s parliamentary elections to elect their Prime Minister in a few months. If they are I would be very surprised if the political opposition in Australia would advocate removing the ADF taskforce from Afghanistan because of casualties.
Australian ASLAV
I think what could be the most interesting information about this attack is what type of IED was used. The soldiers were driving in an armored ASLAV vehicle which means a very large bomb or a sophisticated EFP bomb had to be used to destroy it. Just last month a convoy of vehicles from Iran was intercepted trying to smuggle into Afghanistan sophisticated road side bombs. It will be interesting to see what the Aussie reaction will be if the death of their soldier is the responsibility of the Iranian government.
The Australian Defence Force may have a very limited role in Iraq due to the political consequences of casualties there because of the unpopularity of the war, but in Afghanistan as this video shows the Aussie "diggers" are definitely in the fight there. The relevant military contribution from such a small nation as Australia is putting many of our so called NATO allies to shame in Afghanistan.
The Israeli Defence Force may be using sexy former soldiers to promote their military, but the Royal Australian Navy appears to be using a different tactic, giving sailors breast implants:
THE Royal Australian Navy is paying for women sailors to have breast enlargements for purely cosmetic reasons, at a cost to taxpayers of $10,000 an operation.
Defence officials claim the surgery is justified because some servicewomen need bigger breasts to address "psychological issues".
Darling Point plastic surgeon Kourosh Tavakoli told The Sunday Telegraph the navy had paid for two officers, aged 25 and 32, to have breast-augmentation surgery at his private clinic.
Dr Tavakoli said the women had not been injured but claimed to suffer "psychological" problems.
"I’ve had two female officers who have got the navy to pay for breast augmentation for psychological reasons," he said.
"I know for a fact two patients claimed it back on the navy. They (the navy) knew it was breast augmentation and paid for it. [The Sunday Telegraph]
Maybe it is just me, but it seems like if you are having psychological issues due to your breasts maybe you shouldn’t be in the Navy in the first place? I’m sure the male sailors aren’t complaining though.
For anyone that has ever wondered how the Australian Defence Force recruits soldiers here is a television ad for you to ponder:
It is not bad, but it makes the ADF seem too much like the Peace Corps instead of being soldiers. I think the ADF could learn something from the Canadian military where ads like this one have increased recruitment by 25%. The Canadians were able to do this because instead of pandering to people who aren’t going to join the military anyway with the peacekeeping military nonsense, the Canadian military is actually targeting the demographic you want to join the military, people looking to fight.
Is it any wonder why Canada recruitment numbers have increased while the ADF continues to face recruiting shortages?
