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Australia, US in missile pact
The Courier-Mail (Brisbane, Australia) ^ | 19th June, 2004 | AAP

Posted on 06/18/2004 7:38:14 PM PDT by KangarooJacqui

Australia, US in missile pact

AUSTRALIA would formally commit to the US missile defence program at a joint conference to be held in the US next month, Defence Minister Robert Hill said today.

Senator Hill said the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MOU) would formalise Australia's long-term commitment to participate in the US missile defence program.

"We intend to sign the MOU at the next Australia-US Ministerial Consultations planned in the US for early July," Senator Hill said.

Senator Hill said the MOU would provide a 25-year framework under which broad areas of cooperation can be agreed, before entering into more specific arrangements once individual projects were agreed to.

"This is a long-term commitment to securing our future and strengthening the alliance," he said.

Senator Hill said the first area of cooperation would involve research, development, testing and evaluation of technologies that could be used in the missile defence program.

"This will not only be in our strategic defence interests by further developing our intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance systems, but also provide maximum opportunities for Australian industry," he said.

A key initial project would be to jointly undertake some exploratory cooperative research and development activities to investigate the potential for Australia's world-leading over-the-horizon radar technology to be used in missile defence.

Other potential areas for participation in the program included greater cooperation in ballistic early missile warning through ship-based and ground-based sensors, Senator Hill said.


TOPICS: Australia/New Zealand; Breaking News; Foreign Affairs; Front Page News; Government; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: allies; missiles
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New Zealand may have abandoned the ANZUS treaty long ago, but Australia has not. The concept of "mateship", which small-l liberals scoff at here, is taken very seriously by the rest of us - between countries as well as between individuals.
1 posted on 06/18/2004 7:38:16 PM PDT by KangarooJacqui
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To: KangarooJacqui

Awesome. That'll give the commies in asia soemthing to ponder.


2 posted on 06/18/2004 7:39:32 PM PDT by Bogey78O (McDonalds rejected slogan "Billions served....millions if not counting Michael Moore")
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To: KangarooJacqui
Mmmmmm.... Australia's low-frequency radar....tasty!
3 posted on 06/18/2004 7:42:46 PM PDT by Southack (Media Bias means that Castro won't be punished for Cuban war crimes against Black Angolans in Africa)
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To: KangarooJacqui

Good to see you!


4 posted on 06/18/2004 7:47:42 PM PDT by buccaneer81 (Rick Nash will score 40 goals this season...)
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To: Bogey78O
Awesome. That'll give the commies in asia soemthing to ponder.

Not only the commies, but the Islamic militants - remember, the northern point of Australia lies something less than 200 miles from the southern point of Indonesia, THE LARGEST ISLAMIC COUNTRY IN THE WORLD...
5 posted on 06/18/2004 7:47:50 PM PDT by KangarooJacqui ("Those who say that we're in a time when there are no heroes, they just don't know where to look.")
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To: KangarooJacqui

America will never waver in our loyalty to our best friends in the world, the Australians.


6 posted on 06/18/2004 7:49:02 PM PDT by thoughtomator (The New York Times: All the Lies that Fit the Socialist Agenda)
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To: thoughtomator
America will never waver in our loyalty to our best friends in the world, the Australians.

In the (rather vulgar, but well-meant) Australian vernacular, the only response to that can be : "Bloody oath, mate." :-)
7 posted on 06/18/2004 7:51:08 PM PDT by KangarooJacqui ("Those who say that we're in a time when there are no heroes, they just don't know where to look.")
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To: KangarooJacqui

Rock on, Sheila!


8 posted on 06/18/2004 7:51:27 PM PDT by CholeraJoe (30 Aug 1945. American troops occupy Tokyo. 187th Airborne Infantry Reg't. "Rakkasan!")
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To: KangarooJacqui

nice! So, we got Japan, Australia... What about South Korea? I would guess if we haven't got them we'll get them. What will North Korea do then?

Then we can really bring the pain.

oh and, by the way, thank God for Ronald Reagan and 'star wars'. Certainly is paying dividends now eh?


9 posted on 06/18/2004 7:58:16 PM PDT by traviskicks
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To: KangarooJacqui

Thanks in large measure to the giveaway of American nuclear, computer and missile technology by the Clinton administration to China and other nations who have shown a sometimes-occasional and sometimes-constant dislike of or hatred of the West, a missile attack from an al-Queda-friendly government is a very real possibility and something that al-Queda is certainly salivating over as something that they would love to do or have a hand in by infuencing key government officials.
Although the original SDI ("Star Wars") plans were for space-based missile protection systems designed for high-altitude and long-range ICBM's, recent developments and tests have shown great promise for shorter-range protection systems, making a protection system for Australia to shield from nearby nations, such as Indonesia, a real and viable possibility where the attacking missile in question is operating at a much lower altitude and at a much shorter flight time.

This agreement is a win-win situation for all of the sane nations of the world, in that we can not only demonstrate effective international cooperation toward a common essential goal, but it will show an additional level of philosophical and political bonding between friendly nations, something that al-Queda is doing it's utmost to destabilize.
My hope is that we can forge similar pacts between all friendly and sane nations against this mutual threat.

Unfortunately, I feel the need to apologize to all Australians and all friendly nations of the world for our past President Clinton, who, along with his fellow-travellers, did his utmost to bring us all to this difficult international situation that we face today. My hope is that through international cooperation toward common defence initiatives such as illustrated by this pact we can undo the criminal errors of the Clinton administration and build a safer world for everyone.
My hope also is that the American people remember these things in our November elections, and will retain our good and honorable President who the world can trust to stand by his word and continue with similar initiatives such as this pact between Australia and the United States.


10 posted on 06/18/2004 8:15:44 PM PDT by Stoat
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To: Stoat

British royal navy fleet visits China military
exercise
http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/200406/18/eng20040618_146745.html


11 posted on 06/18/2004 8:18:39 PM PDT by take
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To: KangarooJacqui
New Zealand may have abandoned the ANZUS treaty long ago, but Australia has not.

Dont talk too soon.

If the pack of idiots known as the ALP win the next election (IMHO a distinct possibility) we may very well join NZ. Latham would pull out of missile defense cooperation in a heart beat. They have already indicated that they will downgrade the US alliance and, after his comments about GWB, Latham would be about as welcome at the White House as the bubonic plague.

It's a worry.

12 posted on 06/18/2004 8:24:25 PM PDT by Piefloater
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To: take

Although it's nice to see efforts at international cooperation like this with China, also in today's news (and posted elsewhere on FR) is an item detailing how China is rethinking it's "no first strike" pledge regarding nukes.
Although they are couching their statements in "anti-terrorist" terms, it's clear that this is meant as a threat to Taiwan.
As usual, China is doing it's best to be inscrutable and difficult to trust.


13 posted on 06/18/2004 8:26:28 PM PDT by Stoat
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To: take
These goodwill visits have been going on for years. Chinese naval vessels have visited the US and the US Navy pays goodwill visits to China. The last visits were conducted during 2003.

Link1

Link2

Link3

14 posted on 06/19/2004 12:52:22 AM PDT by Tommyjo
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To: KangarooJacqui; thoughtomator; Piefloater
"Bloody oath, mate."

Done. We got your back.

15 posted on 06/19/2004 1:17:01 AM PDT by risk
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To: KangarooJacqui
"Containtmint" might join "strategery" as the new Bush watch-word.

Not much fuss was made when Japan joined the missile defense system but now with Australia on board, we are seeing the groundworks of a global strategery. The next country to sign on might reveal more clues as to the action behind the scenes.

16 posted on 06/19/2004 4:30:13 AM PDT by jriemer (We are a Republic not a Democracy)
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To: jriemer; Jeff Head; ALOHA RONNIE; archy; Squantos; wretchard; TigerLikesRooster; ...
...we are seeing the groundworks of a global strategery.

Yes, I agree. One day, and I hope it is soon, we will have at much more protection against our enemies' WMDs. From rogue attacks to an all-out war, we are going to be glad Presidents Reagan and Eisenhower believed in defending our skies. Here comes President Bush with another rattle pack for the "don't tread on me" serpent.

U.S. President Eisenhower, in his memoirs, wrote that Overlord, the Allied invasion of Nazi occupied Europe, might have been written off had the German missile threat existed a few months earlier. --- Missle Threat FAQ

17 posted on 06/19/2004 4:55:30 AM PDT by risk (Live free or die.)
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To: jriemer
I do hope you're not suggesting Australia is not a genuine ally. The tone of your post suggested as much, even by likening us to Japan (read your WWII history, especially in the Asian theatre, and THEN you'll find out out who your allies were!)
18 posted on 06/19/2004 6:28:23 AM PDT by KangarooJacqui ("Those who say that we're in a time when there are no heroes, they just don't know where to look.")
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Comment #19 Removed by Moderator

To: Ace1964

To use the Australian vernacular (as I feel I'm entitled to, as I was born here): "Bloody oath, mate"...

(which roughly translates to a vehement version of the word "yes")


20 posted on 06/19/2004 7:23:47 AM PDT by KangarooJacqui ("Those who say that we're in a time when there are no heroes, they just don't know where to look.")
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