Australian Government Approves Airstrikes in Iraq | WPN World People News

The Australian government has authorized air strikes against Islamic State targets in Iraq. Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott said IS, also known as ISIL, has "declared war on the world" and must be "degraded" and "disrupted."

Baghdad, Iraq

Australian warplanes are expected to begin bombing missions inside Iraq within days. Canberra has already sent 600 troops and six fighter jets to a U.S. base in the United Arab Emirates. Prime Minister Tony Abbott said Australian commandos will be deployed to northern Iraq to act as advisers to local forces fighting insurgents. Critics worry that Australia will become enmeshed in another protracted war in the Middle East, but Abbott insists military action will make the nation safer.

“It is in everyone’s best interests that the murderous rage of the ISIL death cult be checked and rolled back, and that is what we are determined to do. ISIL has declared war on the world, ISIL is launching an assault on civilization, not just upon the people of Iraq right now,” said Abbott.

The United States and Arab nations have been bombing IS targets in Iraq and Syria for some two weeks. More than 60 nations are now involved in the U.S.-led mission, although most are not carrying out airstrikes. European nations involved in the air campaign are only hitting targets in Iraq.

The combat operation has the support of Australia's main opposition Labor party. Its leader Bill Shorten said that “military action alone cannot drain the swamp of terrorism” and longer-term stability depends on the government of Iraq and its people.

However, Greens leader Christine Milne believes that Australia's military action in the Middle East will increase the risk of terrorism at home. Milne accuses the Abbott government of taking Australia into a “multi-year quagmire” in Iraq.

About 60 Australians are thought to have joined extremist groups in Iraq and Syria, and Canberra has raised its domestic terror threat level from medium to high. In recent weeks, counter-terrorism raids have been carried out in Sydney, Brisbane and Melbourne.

New laws have also been introduced to the Australian parliament giving the authorities greater powers to combat the threat of homegrown extremism. Last month, a teenage terror suspect was shot dead by police in Melbourne after two officers were stabbed.

Source: Voice of America