Majority of Australians support military intervention against ISIS, Newspoll reveals

BEHEADINGS, blood and brutality. Australians are appalled at the horrifying actions taken by terror group IS, and want something done about it.

Prime Minister Tony Abbott

AUSTRALIAN men are leading the way to wage war against terrorist group ISIS.

The Coalition might have marked their first anniversary in government with a dip in the polls, but they’re on the right track when it comes to military support in the Middle East.

The latest Newspoll reveals the majority of Australians support the federal government’s decision to provide humanitarian aid and weapons - including 50 tonnes of small arms and ammunition - to forces opposing Islamic State (otherwise known as ISIS or ISIL) militants.

Just over three out of five Australians are “personally in favour” of Australia providing assistance.

Conducted at the weekend and published in The Australian, the poll of 1207 people revealed that 62 per cent of voters supported the action taken so far by the Abbott government, which has involved humanitarian aid drops, as well as shipments of weapons and ammunition.

25 per cent were opposed and 13 per cent remain uncommitted.

Those largely in favour of military intervention included Liberal Party supporters, men and Australians aged over 50.

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70 per cent of men supported government action compared to 54 per cent of women.

The numbers were “not as strong as the border support, but pretty emphatic support,” said Newspoll CEO Martin O’Shannessy.

“There's no indication in the poll as to what might happen next.”

62 per cent of Australians are in favour of military intervention against IS.

Australians gathered to stand against ISIS in a march in Melbourne.

Australia is yet to dedicate troops on the ground, but Prime Minister Tony Abbott has hinted at furthering our military support in the Middle East.

Mr Abbott has said the government is considering what else Australia can do to usefully contribute to the international effort against Islamic State, and could add to the US military air strikes that have halted the advance of the jihadist group into the Kurdish areas in Iraq.

He has stopped short of predicting a military defeat.

“There are a range of measures that will be needed to tackle the ISIL movement and the military component is only a part of it,” Mr Abbott said.

The flightdeck of a Royal Australian Air Force C-17 Globemaster en route to Erbil, Northern Iraq, with a shipment of military equipment.

A United States Defence Force member guides a forklift during the unloading of military stores from the Royal Australian Air Force C-17 Globemaster at Erbil Airport in northern Iraq.

Other components include a broad-based government in Iraq, strong domestic security measures and working with like-minded countries in the Middle East and reinforcing the notion of “Team Australia” among young mulisms at home.

The prime minister said no specific request had been made for an enhanced Australian military role in Iraq.

“We are continuing to talk to our partners and allies about how Australia might be able to contribute, whether we should help with some air capability, whether we should help with some military advisers,” he said.

An Australian military plane has completed the airlift of a third shipment of weapons to Kurdish fighters in northern Iraq.

Defence says the Globemaster aircraft delivered without incident 50 tonnes of small arms and ammunition to Erbil on Sunday.

Yet Palmer United Party senator Jacqui Lambie echoed the sentiments of many Australians — and Americans — on Sky News this morning.

“I think we always knew that was going to be the level of support,” she said.

“What I don’t want to see is combat troops on the ground. Time will tell but we are depleted in our defence forces.”

Crates of military stores are loaded onto a Royal Australian Air Force C-17 Globemaster at Tirana Airport, Albania.

The United States has already conducted 130 airstrikes in Iraq.

US President Barack Obama will make a speech on Wednesday (US time) to lay out his plan to deal with and “ultimately” defeat IS militants, although he continues to say the US won’t be waging another ground war in Iraq.

Meanwhile, the poll also revealed one in four voters don’t want Tony Abbott or Bill Shorten as prime minister, and would give their first preference to the Greens, independents or a minor party.

The coalition’s primary vote has dropped to 39 per cent, more than six points lower than the 45.6 per cent election result. The ALP’s primary vote is lower than the coalition’s at 35 per cent, but Labor leads in two-party-preferred terms by 52 to 48 per cent.

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