15
Jul
2014
0

Budget Strategy; US-Israel Relations; Threats from Terrorism Heightened by US Attorney.

Budget Strategy

While attention has been focussed on the process of repealing the carbon tax, both The Australian and the Australian Financial Review also emphasise the importance of fiscal repair, with both publishing letters from me and others on that issue and the AFR editorialising –“After carbon, fix the budget mess”.

US-Israel Relations

The astonishing calls by Obama to Netanyahu to adopt the diplomatic path, and by Kerry to consider a ceasefire, contrast with the Egyptian response that “as far as (Sisi) is concerned, Israel can continue crushing Hamas” (see below). They also come at a time when the Wall St Journal has published a lengthy in-house analysis (not repeated here) suggesting, inter alia, that Obama is “eroding the national security architecture Washington built in the Middle East and Asia during the Cold War and allowing avenues for terrorist groups such as al-Qa’ida and competing states to fill the security vacuum”.

Heightened Threat from Terrorists

The Obama/Kerry softly, softly approach also contrasts with the warning by US Attorney General Holder that the threat from terrorists “gives us really extreme, extreme concern …in some ways its more frightening than anything I think I’ve seen as Attorney General” (see below).

Beyond this, reports confirm that a small number of Indonesians have gone to fight in Syria and Iraq and that (from jail) Bashir has announced his support for the so-called caliphate state currently established there (see below).

As yet, no response from the Australian Government. But there appears to have been a short debate in the House at which support was given by back-benchers to the removal of citizenship of Australians who have gone to fight in Syria/Iraq (see below).

As I have suggested, a comprehensive denunciation by the government of extremist Islam is needed.