Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced yesterday that Australia would be sending an E-7 airborne radar aircraft and a load of air-to-air missiles to Qatar after talks with the UAE’s president, Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, last week and U.S. president Donald Trump overnight, reported The Guardian. Albanese insisted Australia was not part of offensive action against Iran and would not be deploying troops more broadly to the Middle East. He characterised Australia’s assistance as helping defend against “unprovoked attacks” by the Iranian regime.
Albanese said Australia was taking defensive action to support regional partners and keep Australian expats safe. About 115,000 Australian citizens and permanent residents are in the Middle East, including about 24,000 in the UAE.
But the Greens were scathing in their criticism of the deployment. Greens leader Larissa Waters said she did not support the move, and that the government, “should listen to the overwhelming majority of Australians who do not want to be dragged into Trump and Netanyahu’s latest forever war.”
“The government’s assertion that our personnel and equipment will only be used for defense is a fig leaf. Our presence at best will free up other facilities for more offense, and at worst, we will be further dragged into offensive action, risking the lives of 100 Australian personnel,” she said. “To keep civilians safe we should be urging peace, not sending missiles.”
Albanese also confirmed yesterday that there were three Australian sailors aboard the U.S. submarine that sank the Iranian ship Dena off the cost of Sri Lanka last week. That matters because Australia is not a party to the U.S. war on Iran, but is part of the AUKUS submarine deal by which Australia is supposed to receive U.S. Virginia-class nuclear powered attack submarines aimed at China. “We wouldn’t normally confirm such an issue, but given our meetings and the public interest, I can confirm that there were three Australian personnel on board that vessel,” Albanese revealed.
He added, “I can confirm also, though, that no Australian personnel have participated in any offensive action against Iran.” He noted, too, frameworks are in place to ensure Australians do not participate in such combat actions.
Again, the Greens blasted Albanese for complicity in an illegal war. “We’re being dragged into these wars because of the dystopian logic of AUKUS, that we’re somehow safer by being part of an alliance led by Donald Trump and his lawless regime,” said David Shoebridge, a Greens member of the Australian senate.
