Dr John Blaxland warns against Australia sending troops into Syria

AS pressure mounts for Australia to send troops to fight Islamic State, one leading expert says it would be a waste of money, time and lives.

‘They’re goading us. They want us to overreact’

AS FRANCE launched a second round of air strikes against Islamic State in Syria, one of Australia’s leading defence experts has warned against deploying Aussie troops on the ground.

Dr John Blaxland, a senior fellow at the Strategic and Defence Studies Centre at the Australian National University, says sending in soldiers would be a waste of money, time and most importantly, lives.

His comments come following former Prime Minister Tony Abbott’s call to send the Australian Defence Force into Syria and Iraq to help destroy IS militants.

Writing in The Australian, Mr Abbott said unless Australia was prepared to do more, it could “easily lead to more civilian casualties at home”.

“This could involve less restrictive targeting rules for air strikes and the deployment of special forces on the ground in support of local forces,” Mr Abbott wroteon Tuesday.

Foreign Minister Julie Bishop effectively ruled out sending in more troops saying any request would be considered but only in a “measured and collaborative way” with allies.

That request is unlikely to come given US President Barack Obama has also ruled out a further ground offensive saying it “would be a mistake.”

“We are going to continue the strategy that has the best chance of working,” Reuters reported Mr Obama said. “This is not a traditional military opponent. We can retake territory and as long as we keep our troops there we can hold it. But that does not solve the underlying problem of eliminating the dynamics that are producing these kinds of violent, extremist groups.”

Map of ISIS controlled area in Syria and Iraq.

Dr Blaxland, who is the former Director Joint Intelligence Operations at the ADF’s Headquarters Joint Operations Command, told news.com.au sending in ground forces now would be pointless and that Australia needed to focus on tackling Islamic extremists at home rather than abroad.

“There is no point in an additional Australian Defence Force presence to conduct operations in Syria unless there is a clear compelling and internationally agreed to strategy for what to do once the combat operations have taken place,” Dr Blaxland said.

“That means Russia and the United States need to come to an agreement and it also means that the key protagonists in the Shia and Sunni split, particularly Saudi Arabia and Iran, need to sign up to it otherwise we are wasting lives time and money. And we are completely distracting ourselves from the major security challenges that are emerging in Australia’s nearer regions — that’s the bottom line.”

Dr Blaxland pointed to the increasing tensions in the South China Sea as well as the radicalisation of Muslims in our own communities.

He said Australia could not go into Syria without an international mandate or a coherent plan that “our contribution” would make some positive difference and highlighted The War on Terror campaign as an example of not understanding the complexities of this terrorist threat.

“After 9/11 people thought all we need to do is get al-Qaeda and it will be good,” he said. “Well, al-Qaeda is pretty well beaten and there has been several manifestations since then. You hit at Daesh, the problem won’t go away. You need a more holistic approach.

“So let’s not just act angrily and with some kind of moral indignation when we have actually been part of the problem all along, we The West.

“We need to be realistic about what to do and we need to have a sober reflection on our role in contributing to the problem that exists today. And whether a military contribution is actually going to make it better or worse.

“What is key for us is to support the US alliance and I would argue the best way Australia could support the US alliance is to refocus on our neighbourhood.

“In terms of alliance, the Americans love having us there but the point I have said to American generals is to stop asking us to go to the Middle East, ‘you actually want us in Asia, that is much more in your interests and in Australia’s interest’.

“We need to be realistic about what we can do. Also remember Daesh claims a lot of activities in it’s name but whether it directs it, or networks it or just inspires it our actions will not stop terror in Australia. What will stop terror in Australia is a non-military solution. There are other things to do to address the threats in Australia. And they are not about sending more troops to the Middle East.”

He said engaging with the Muslim community, learning about each other and building trust and confidence as well defusing the “toxic rhetoric that is being propagated today by the Pauline Hansons of the world”.

“Let’s not do what Daesh wants us to do,” he added. “Daesh is goading us. They want us to overreact. They want us to overreact at home and in the Middle East. They (governments) have got to stop, wake up, and think soberly and not do what they want us to do.”