Speaking to the media in Canberra, Julie Bishop said the " humanitarian crisis" that is forcing thousands of refugees out of war-torn Syria could be stopped if more nations agreed to bomb IS targets.
She said by stopping IS advances, the number of asylum seekers coming from Syria would drop, as they would not be in as much danger from IS militants.
"There's more countries can do in terms of supporting the air strikes which are proving effective in stopping Daesh (the IS) from claiming territory off sovereign governments," Bishop said.
- She said up to 40 percent of all asylum seekers attempting to reach Europe were Syrian, but that number could drop if coalition nations ramped up the efforts against the IS.
She said some nations were ill-equipped to deal with asylum seekers.
"The crisis that is unfolding in Europe will focus their attention. This humanitarian crisis is unprecedented," Bishop told the media.
"It will focus their attention on trying to resolve the situation at its source and that will include a military and political solution in both Syria and Iraq."
Australia, which has aerial presence in Iraq, is considering a request from the United States that would result in Australian F/A- 18 Hornets undertaking bombing missions in Syria.
Bishop said if more European nations joined the fight, then other Middle Eastern nations could be swayed to enter the war as well.
Currently no European nations are conducting air strikes in Syria, while Denmark, France, the Netherlands and Britain are bombing IS targets in Iraq.
Xinhua - globaltimes.cn
31/8/15
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Australian aircraft have completed their first operation in Syria, defense officials said Saturday, just days after Canberra extended the mission from Iraq to better fight ISIS militants....
ReplyDelete“The Australian Air Task Group completed its first operational mission in Syria overnight, returning to base in the Middle East without incident,” the defense department said in a statement.
“No weapons were released during the mission.”
The statement added that two Royal Australian Air Force F/A-18A Hornets, a KC-30A air-to-air refueling aircraft and E-7A Airborne Early Warning and Control aircraft were used.
Australia Air Task Group Commander, Air Commodore Stu Bellingham said the Hornets were searching for enemy activity in eastern Syria, reporting to the international coalition’s Combined Air Operations Centre.
“The Hornets were also prepared for any short notice high priority tasking which could include surveillance and weapons release,” Bellingham said.
Australia was already part of the coalition fighting ISIS in Iraq but this week extended air operations into Syria, saying the legal basis was the collective self-defense of Iraq against the militant group which does not respect borders.
“We cannot defeat Daesh in Iraq without defeating Daesh in Syria too,” Prime Minister Tony Abbott said when he made the announcement, using the alternate name for the violent militants who control swathes of Syria and neighboring Iraq.................alarabiya.net by AFP
12/9/15