I still consider Australia a good and helpful ally.
“The Australian can also reveal the Abbott government is considering increasing Australia’s long-term presence in Afghanistan with the potential deployment of 200 special forces troops amid worldwide concern about the collapse of security in Iraq after the withdrawal of the US-led forces.
Membership of NATO’s Enhanced Partnership Program will give Australia permanent access to the organisation’s planning at the earliest stages of future operations and ensure an Australian presence in its governing councils. Sweden, Finland, Jordan and Georgia will also become enhanced partners.
The key topics will include Russia’s aggression towards Ukraine, the escalating Islamic State crisis across Iraq and Syria, the threat posed by foreign fighters returning from the conflict and the transition in Afghanistan.”
I hope you are correct. But a mere 200 troops, er, personnel (prolly most are paper pushers), is nonsense. Make it 2,000 and I’ll give them some consideration. Make it 10,000 and I’ll admit I’m wrong!! 200 troops requires a some support group. So if 200 includes the support group, there’s prolly more like 75 troops. What’s the point. Purely political?