Australia’s weakness exposed as the new axis of evil spreads war from Ukraine to the Red Sea

The Albanese government’s “support” in the military strikes on Yemen’s Houthi rebels makes us look helpless and embarrassing.

The Albanese government is making us look not just helpless but embarrassing.

Check the humiliating boast on Friday by Defence Minister Richard Marles.

Marles announced Australia had “supported” the “very important” military strikes on Yemen’s Houthi Islamist rebels, who’d been firing missiles and attack drones at ships in the Red Sea, gateway to the Suez Canal, to punish Israel.

But how had we “supported” these strikes on 60 targets by US and British warships, submarines and fighter jets?

The Albanese government is making us look not just helpless but embarrassing. Picture: Getty

After all, this government couldn’t send even one ship when the US asked last month for help protecting this critical shipping lane.

We didn’t have the sailors, it seems, or weapons to shoot down the Houthi’s drones.

So what was our “support”?

Well, said Marles, Australia had “personnel in the operational headquarters”.

Which means some of the 16 – just 16 – people the government could spare for this “very important” mission were sitting behind a computer.

A UK RAF Typhoon aircraft joins the US-led coalition to conduct air strikes against Yemen's Houthi rebels. Picture: Getty

Wow. Hope China, with its 370 ships and submarines and its two million-strong army, saw and trembled at our mighty 16.

Unfortunately, this is just the latest example of our frightening weakness as the new axis of evil – China, Russia, North Korea and Iran, which supplies the Houthi – spreads war from Ukraine to the Red Sea.

Look at Ukraine, desperately trying to stop the Russian invaders who are using arms from Iran and North Korea. Our government has turned off the tap of military supplies.

It’s also giving Israel – under attack from the Iranian-backed Hamas terrorists – nothing, except criticism. In fact, we’re now so toothless that even last week’s riots in Papua New Guinea spelled danger for us.

The military strikes are just the latest example of Australia’s frightening weakness. Picture: AFP

It’s not just the threat of refugees.

The mobs there burned down some Chinese stores, prompting China to warn PNG to protect any Chinese.

The “or else” wasn’t spelled out, but consider the Solomon Islands, within missile range of Brisbane.

When rioters there torched Chinese businesses, China persuaded (bribed?) the government to let China’s police be stationed on the islands.

Could PNG, also corrupt, be tempted, too? It can’t expect much urgent help in a riot from Australia, anyway.

The Albanese government has just scrapped our troop-lift Taipan helicopters for safety reasons, making landing troops trickier.

Thank heavens PNG has so far asked for just one helicopter. We can still manage that. I hope.

Originally published as Australia’s weakness exposed as the new axis of evil spreads war from Ukraine to the Red Sea