Australian forces to join US-led coalition
Australia will begin deploying military forces to the Gulf over the next two weeks to join the US-led coalition against terrorism, Prime Minister John Howard said today.
Flanked by Defence Minister Peter Reith and the Chief of the Defence Forces, Admiral Chris Barrie, Howard said the deployment followed a telephone request overnight from US President George Bush.
‘‘He indicated the United States would like to activate the commitment that Australia had made to join the coalition force; I indicated that Australia would respond,’’ Howard told reporters.
‘‘This marks of course a significant further stage in the involvement of Australian military personnel and the Australian people in this war against terrorism,’’ he added.
The contribution announced by Howard is larger than an initial commitment made last month, after the government invoked Article Four of Australia’s 50-year-old ANZUS military treaty with the United States. The treaty means an attack on US territory is considered an attack on Australia.
The government’s initial pledge was for a detachment of 150 Special Air Services troops, two B707 tanker refuelling aircraft, two P3 long-range maritime aircraft and a navy guided missile frigate.
The additional commitment is for a naval task group comprising one amphibious command ship with helicopter capabilities and a frigate escort, four FA-18A fighter jets, and one frigate also with helicopter capability.
Total number of personnel is about 1,550 - up from just under 1,000 in the original commitment.
The SAS troops are elite commandos, trained to operate in small groups behind enemy lines. Howard said their purpose would be ‘‘to go to selected locations as decided by the chief of the defence force in conjunction with coalition force commanders to conduct combined operations.’’
The first troops and equipment could begin leaving as soon as next week, and the total contribution should be in position by mid-November, he said.
Howard’s announcement comes in the second week of a campaign for national elections on November 10.
Already well ahead of the opposition Labour Party in opinion polls and favoured to win with an increased majority, the troop deployment is seen as a further boost to the bid by Howard and his conservative coalition for a third term.
Howard is fighting the election on counterterrorism and national security issues.
The opposition Labour Party has been trying to re-focus voters on domestic issues like health care, education and tax reform, where polls show it leads the government.
Opposition Labour leader Kim Beazley on Wednesday said his party fully supported the commitment of Australian forces.
