Australia All Set To Join The U.S Coalition For Air Strikes In Iraq: Cabinet Nod Expected Any Time

Australia is all set to join the U.S. led air strikes against Islamic State (IS) in Iraq, in the next few days. The final nod of Australian Cabinet is expected in a couple of days. According to Julie Bishop, Australian Foreign Minister, the National security committee and Cabinet will soon finalise the Iraq action plan, reported Sydney Morning Herald.

Bishop also said, even though Australia would involve in the strikes against ISIS in Iraq, it will stay out of Syria as the framework is different there. One more hitch is that Australia does not recognise the Syrian government.

Preparations Underway

According to Defence sources, though the Cabinet nod is awaited, all preparations are underway on the logistics front. Accordingly, Australia's F/A-18F Super Hornets: E-7A Wedgetail airborne early warning aircraft: KC-30A Airborne refueler are through with their preliminary flights from Australia's Middle East base.

The aircrew at the Air Task Group have also familiarised themselves with local conditions and procedures to operate under the coalition command network, reported Daily Mail. Australia's Air Chief Marshal Mark Binskin said operations of the Air Task Group will be in coordination with other international partners. Besides the jets, 600 personnel will also go to Middle East, in which 200 military advisers will work with the Iraqi government forces in the operations against IS.

Labour Spokesman David Feeney also supported the Australian government's plan for Iraq operations, but opposed Australia's intervention in Syria, because it was illegal. In Iraq, Australia is mainly looking for a legal framework and hopes it would be in place in a few days, Julie Bishop noted. Defence Minister David Johnston already visited Baghdad and met the new Iraqi government and assured them the necessary support.

Syria Is Different

The Foreign Minister said, Australia still considers many parts of Syria as ungoverned and the Assad regime as illegitimate. However, Bishop said the U.S. has taken the legal advice on strikes in Syria. Under article 51, collective self-defence permits action in Syria. The Labour spokesman while extending support for military intervention in Middle East, insisted that it must be subject to four factors. First, the military campaign must abide by international law; Australia must act within a coalition, which must include key regional countries; a clear military strategy must be followed and it must prevent the genocide of minorities.