‘Clueless’: Defence Minister Richard Marles trades barbs with Peter Dutton over Red Sea call

A war of words has erupted over a decision to refuse a US request for Australia to send a warship to the Middle East.

A call for Australia to refocus military efforts on the Middle East instead of closer to home has been lashed as “utterly clueless”.

Defence Minister Richard Marles launched the stinging attack on Peter Dutton after he described a decision to reject a US-request for warships to be deployed to the Red Sea as one “that could only be welcomed by Hamas”.

“They are essentially making an argument for Australia’s military commitments to return to the Middle East,” he told reporters in Geelong.

“That demonstrates how utterly clueless they are about Australia’s national interest and where our strategic focus must be.”

Mr Marles hit back at Mr Dutton’s remarks. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Martin Ollman

Mr Dutton said the decision would be welcomed by Hamas. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Dylan Coker

A request was made from the Biden Administration as part of international efforts to safeguard cargo from attacks by Iranian-backed Houthi rebels.

Australia will send up to six defence personnel to the US operation.

The Opposition Leader slammed Mr Marles on X, formerly known as Twitter, saying Australia had become an “international laughing stock”.

“It takes a lot of effort with a special blend of weakness and incompetence for our prime minister to turn his back on our closest ally, a decision that could only be welcomed by Hamas (a listed terrorist organisation),” Mr Dutton said.

“The Albanese government is an international laughing stock. The decision should be reversed and our integrity restored.”

Mr Marles defended the decision, saying our focus needed to be in our own backyard.

“Our region is where we have our greatest security anxiety. Our region is where we have the bulk of Australia’s trade,” he said.

It takes a lot of effort with a special blend of weakness and incompetence for our Prime Minister to turn his back on our closest ally, a decision that could only be welcomed by Hamas (a listed terrorist organisation).

Doesn’t that say it all? https://t.co/oLlH09BWoy

— Peter Dutton (@PeterDutton_MP) December 21, 2023

“America is deeply appreciative of what we are doing. We work very closely with the United States around the deployment of our military assets.

“The expectation of the global community and … the United States as to where Australia should do the heavy lifting is within our reach, within places like the South China Sea, like the Northeast Indian Ocean, like the Pacific.

“That’s where our focus is.”

Attacks by Houthi rebels on commercial vessels have escalated in recent weeks as drones and rockets were against ships transporting goods through the Red Sea.

The Red Sea is one of the busiest shipping lanes in the world. It links the Mediterranean Sea and the Suez Canal to the Indian Ocean.

An estimated 12 per cent of the world’s trade passes through the region, including millions of barrels of oil.

Several shipping companies have announced it would divert ships away from the area and instead take the much longer route around Africa due to the attacks.

Australia will not send a warship to the Red Sea.

US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin announced this week the creation of a 10-member taskforce, Operation Prosperity Guardian, to protect vessels from the Houthi rebels.

The rebels have vowed to continue their attacks until Israel ends its war on Hamas.

The UK, Canada, France, Spain, Italy and the Netherlands have all committed ships to the area.

Earlier, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese denied the decision to send personnel over a warship sent a “bad message” to our allies.

“There’s been, as I say, no government to government request.” he said on Friday morning.

He stressed there had been “no criticism” thrown at his government from the Biden administration since he first ventilated the decision on Wednesday.