Malcolm Turnbull arrives in Washington to full military welcome
MALCOLM Turnbull has arrived in the US to a full military welcome, but it was so freezing in the nation’s capital it was literally too cold for the Prime Minister to speak.
MALCOLM Turnbull has arrived to a full military welcome and a bitterly cold morning in Washington.
Not known to be shy of a word, the Prime Minister stepped off his plane as the sun rose over the US Capitol only to discover that it was literally too cold to speak.
Officials noted too that the PM appeared to have forgotten his gloves as the mercury struggled to break above -8c.
He made his first official duty a visit to Arlington Military cemetery where he laid a wreath in honour of fallen US soldiers before a meeting at the Pentagon with US secretary of defence Ash Carter to discuss the war against Islamic State.
He was given a 19 gun salute and guard of honour in a welcome that officials said was among the highest afforded to a world leader not on an official State visit.
Mr Turnbull presented gifts to the Arlington Museum of an ANZAC coin collection commemorating the 100th Anniversary of ANZAC.
A note read: “From our war memorial to yours in honour of the service and history of our countries.”
It was then standing room only when he arrived to deliver a speech to the Centre for Strategic and Independent Studies.
Organisers of the event remarked that it was the largest crowd they had attracted for a world leader at the Centre for Strategic and Independent Studies.
It was even more remarkable, they said for the fact that it was one of the coldest days so far this winter and a public holiday in honour of Martin Luther King.
Former US officials, policy leaders and a West Wing inspired crowd of post graduate students packed the room to listen to Mr Turnbull deliver a national security address, stressing the importance of the US/Australia alliance.
He paid tribute to Australia’s Ambassador to Washington Kim Beazley - who will end his term this week and be replaced by Joe Hockey.
“This week Kim Beazley completes his time in Washington and draws a line under exactly 33 years in public life and I thank him for every one of them - especially the six in which he has been our Ambassador here in Washington,” Mr Turnbull said.
“Throughout his career, as a Minister for Defence, as a Labor leader, Kim has been a steadfast supporter of and eloquent advocate of our Alliance and I have no doubt that he will continue to be so in the years ahead.”
He used the speech to call for more boots on the ground in Syria and Iraq to defeat Islamic State. But he made it clear that they would not be Australian boots.
US President Barack Obama will host his fourth Australian prime minister when Mr Turnbull arrives at the White House tomorrow. The issue of Islamic State and military efforts to defeat it will be at the heart of discussions.
The PM, in his speech, sharpened his language on terrorism, claiming it was untrue to say IS had nothing to do with Islam. “We should not be so delicate as to say ISIL and its ilk have ‘got nothing to do with Islam’,” he said.
“But equally we should not tag all Muslims or their religion with responsibility for the crimes of a tiny criminal minority. That is precisely what the extremists want us to do.
“The threat posed by ISIL has a direct impact on our region … ISIL has used the declaration of a caliphate as a powerful marketing tool which is attracting supporters to travel to the region or to carry out attacks at home …
“The destruction of their self-styled caliphate would help to counter its narrative of inevitable victory and is therefore an important element in securing Australians and Americans at home — and abroad.
“The destruction of ISIL requires a military solution — it requires boots on the ground. But they must be the right boots on the right ground.
“The recent retaking of Ramadi is a prime example. Led by the Iraqi army, assisted by the coalition’s respective air and special forces, it was not just a blow to ISIL, but an example of the right combination.”
WEST FAILING IN CYBER FIGHT AGAINST IS: TURNBULL
by Simon Benson in Washington DC
THE battle against Islamist terrorists was being lost in cyber space and the western world had been too slow to respond, Malcolm Turnbull has warned in a national security address in Washington today.
Acknowledging that the military offensive had to be won on the ground in the Middle East, the Prime Minister said that the campaign to counter the social media propaganda war was failing.
“ISIL may have an archaic and barbaric ideology but its use of technology and social media in particular is very sophisticated and agile,” he said in a speech to the Centre for Strategic and Independent Studies.
“As ISIL uses social media for its propaganda, we must do so rapidly and persuasively with the facts.One element of our campaign needs considerable improvement.
“Their threat to sweep across continents like the armies of Mohammed, to stable their horses in the Vatican are crazed delusions. We should not amplify them.”
“It was clear to me from my recent visit that the Iraqi Government and other anti ISIL forces are not reacting quickly enough to contradict ISIL’s online messages which have been used both to recruit new fighters and demoralise those who oppose them. We should help them with this.”
Mr Turnbull said ISIL’s claims must be “mocked and disproved as soon as they are made. The cybersphere demands reactions as rapid as the battlefield.”
Mr Turnbull said he would be raising this element of the campaign against terrorism with US President Barack Obama when they meet tomorrow.
“We are working with our partners in South East Asia to improve the effectiveness of our counter narrative online, and I was pleased to see heightened co-operation here in Washington between the Government and the private sector telcos, software developers, and social media platforms to that end.
“I am looking forward to further progressing our co-operation in this field in the course of my discussions with the President tomorrow.”
Mr Turnbull repeated his calls for a political solution to the catastrophe in Syria but for the first time raised the possibility that the country may have to be partitioned to find a durable peace settlement.
He also said Indonesia now must take a global role in countering ISIL’s propaganda which had hijacked Islam in pursuit of its bloody ambitions.
“As the democratically elected leader of the world’s largest Muslim-majority country President Jokowi can play a vital role in promoting the counter narrative from within the world of Islam that will ultimately defeat ISIL and the other violent extremists,” he said.
Mr Turnbull used the joint military campaign against terrorism to confirm the strength of the US/Australia alliance which was as important in the Asia Pacific region, with the rise of China, as it was in the middle east combating terrorism.
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