"Now the Shiites have got a problem. They refused to listen to American advice and instead decided to oppress the Sunnis...."

WELL...golly gee...isn't that a surprise!

(My cat, Molly, even predicted that outcome in 2003)

Btw, stuntboy Abbott has been waxing lyrical about "humanitarian" missions, big noting the govt's ideals and such like. That is a good thing, in general...except he appears to only be interested in such missions if he can milk them to the max:

http://newmatilda.com/2014/09/18/tony-abbott-ended-aid-iraq-months-calling-humanitarian-intervention

"Australia's 'humanitarian mission' in Iraq includes troops and Super Hornets. It comes just months after our aid budget to the troubled nation was cut to zero."

"In a move at odds with the Coalition’s newfound concern for the people of Iraq, Australia’s development aid to the country wound down to zero this year, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) has confirmed.

“In line with the Australian Government’s refocusing of the aid program to the Indo-Pacific region, Australia has now ended its development aid program in Iraq,” a DFAT spokesperson said."

"After assuming office, the Coalition took the unusual step of implementing its aid cuts immediately, stripping $650 million from the budget handed down by Labor and reducing the amount assigned to Iraq from $16 million to just $3.7 million.

At this year’s Budget, that amount was reduced to zero."

So the govt apparently couldn't have given a toss about Iraq's situation....until this current debacle presented them with a 24 carat diversion.

Slow clap.....

Australian and other international action, and also inaction to solve fundamental causes of unrest, is boosting terrorism into a state of war.
Where is debate about alternative and peaceful solutions?

The neo-con war-hawks in Washington, Canberra, Britain, France, etc, don't care about alternatives to war and/or peace.

They want a world where war rages seven days a week and twenty-four hours a day.

War shows which nations have big gonads, hairy chests, no brains, and a deep love of killing, destroying and plundering!

ASIO and USA security best understand war mongering these days will impact everybody.
All troubled people need to see hope ahead.
If no hope can be seen the hopelessness could lead to stupidity such such as wiping ebola virus around an airport terminal where aircraft are already departing for whatever country.
The G20 should immediately call for economic solutions that will lead to peace and prosperity.
This is not the world it used to be.
From my point of view the whole world ocean is now virtually empty of accessible/available seafood. River fish supply is also devastated.
Food shortages and food riots and unrest and immune system dysfunction with a world population of over 7 billion, is unprecedented.
If WW3 begins and food transport and health breaks down then the war mongers and members of their families will also be seriously or fatally impacted.
Best strive for peace and prosperity immediately and via the G20.

Hi JF Aus

Re your "Where is debate about alternative and peaceful solutions?"

David G's is a good response. Also politicians who are Real Men (Johnny Howard in 2003 and now Abbott) prefer warlike prescriptions.
---

Regarding non-warlike measures:

Instead of Invasion of Iraq then Syria how about:

- Making sure Bali and Jakarta are not asleep at the counter-terrorist wheel again.

- our direct support for a more inclusive (Sunni and Shiite and Kurdish) government in Baghdad.

- cutting the flow of financing to ISIL from oil rich Gulf States.

- applying pressure on Turkey to close the border to flows of foreign fighters.

- working with to regional actors to starve ISIL of more weapons.
--

@onthebeach

"Patriotism is the last refuge of a scoundrel." said Winston Churchill.

Pete,
I was thinking about the Sydney and Brisbane raids at work today and came to the conclusion that, insofar as it affects us at all shouldn't the focus in the fight against domestic terrorism be on better parental supervision of their teenagers internet usage?
Most of the guys scooped up in the raids were very young, I heard several were 15-17 years old, the fact that they're looking to join a gang is unsurprising and I don't see it as going much deeper than that.
As a White Nationalist I'm only too aware of the way the darker elements moving about the internet work in flipping off the circuit breakers in the minds of the young, the lonely and the feeble minded and how easily they can be goaded into committing crimes.
How about some other proposals:
Parenting classes and lessons in how to use the internet for migrant adults whose teens have been identified as at risk from online contact with the Jihadi underground.
A re structuring of the Australian media content rules to 90% local content on TV and radio and futher, more generous tax incentives for local content producers and public access.
An end to the indulgence by educators and youth workers of the "Gangsta" style and format in outreach work, no more grafitti walls and hip hop workshops.