US Can Defeat ISIS & Is Being Encouraged to Do More; Australia may offer RAAF; Aus Muslim Leaders Expose Themsleves; Islamic State already Here; Iraqi Christians seek help;
Greg Sheridan’s article below indicates that Abbott is encouraging Obama to take the lead in increasing action against Islamic State and is also engaged in discussions along similar lines with other western leaders.
In the US the Wall St Journal has published an article (see below) which includes specific action suggestions, including the targeting of leaders of the IS and those financing it and limiting activities at the US base in Qatar. Even leaving aside the vexed question of whether the US should put troops on the ground, it is clear there are many other actions which could be taken by Obama but are not.
Regrettably, despite including in its editorial the many warnings from experts of the seriousness of the IS threat, The Australian supports no troops and goes no further than expressing a hope that Obama will not withdraw all troops from Afghanistan. The apparent extent of fraudulent voting there (2mn out of 8mn) sends an ominous signal that Afghanistan is not yet able to prevent a Taliban takeover without outside help.
However, a report in a British newspaper does claim that a joint UK/US special forces group will be sent to Iraq to hunt down Islamic commanders and Foley’s beheader (see Herald Sun article below by Dunn). One cannot help thinking that a higher priority would be for a (large) “special forces” group to be sent to protect the Christians under threat (see plea in article below).
Meantime, Andrew Bolt has pointed out below that the statement by a number of Australian Muslim leaders not only rejects the addition to anti-terrorism powers but blames the West for violence and killings. It’s claim that Muslims can’t be divided into radicals and moderates exposes the weakness of their defence, as does the statement itself. The same aggressive response is reported from Muslims in a detention centre (who appear also to be fighting amongst themselves) and from Jack Thomas, who was once acquitted from being connected to al Quaeda. These expressions of view by Muslims are, in one sense, welcome because they bring out into the open the extent of the problem facing the government – and ourselves.