Scott Morrison visits secretive American intelligence base near Alice Springs for briefing

PRIME Minister Scott Morrison has made a visit to the NT’s secretive Pine Gap military intelligence base for a classied briefing

Prime Minister Scott Morrison visited the facility on Friday.

PRIME Minister Scott Morrison has made a visit to the NT’s secretive Pine Gap military intelligence base prompting suggestions about the potential involvement of the facility in ongoing tensions between the United States and Iran.

A spokesman for the Prime Minister told the NT News Prime Minister Scott Morrison attended a briefing on Friday at the facility outside of Alice Springs which is manned by American defence and intelligence personnel.

“The facility is crucial to keeping the Aussies safe from terrorism and the spread of weapons of mass destruction and provides a critical contribution to the security of Australia,” he said.

But an expert on International Relations said it was interesting timing for the Prime Minister to visit the facility.

University of Melbourne International Relations Professor Richard Tanter said Australia needs to be cautious about the role of Pine Gap which can provide data that could be used for drone strikes overseas.

“We need the Prime Minister and Australian politicians to be extremely cautious about allowing Pine Gap as a major American facility on Australian soil to be used without our control,” he said.

Iraq’s parliament last month called for the expulsion of US troops from the country in reaction to the American drone attack that killed a top Iranian general Qasem Soleimani.

“One thing which is important for Australians to consider would be the possible involvement in Pine Gap in assisting American or military coalition against Iran given president Trump’s disposition, his reckless application of the nuclear energy agreement with Iran and the assassination of an Iranian senior leader,” Mr Tanter said.

The Prime Minister also flew into Tindal late last night and made the announcement of over a billion dollars in funding for works on RAAF Base Tindal.

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Mr Morrison said the investment would create more than 300 jobs in the construction phase and was designed to ensure the Australian Defence Force (ADF) could continue to deliver a potent air combat capability from the Northern Territory.

Subject to parliamentary approval, construction is expected to start in this year’s dry season with completion expected by the end of 2027.

“This investment is all about keeping Australians safe and putting Australians in jobs,” the Prime Minister told the NT News.