On Lateline last night our Fefence Minister Stephen Smith was visibly shaken when he faced accusations of having a secret agenda to back the USA if they so desire to attack China.

David Uren wrote a book claiming evidence of this.Both Paul Keating and Malcolm Fraser have criticised Labor over even considering this policy.

What this means is that we become the place of first strike if there is a war.It also makes China seek more secure resources and energy from other countries.

http://www.abc.net.au/iview/#/series/lateline

AJ

...If the USA consider China a current or future threat, then for the sake of the argument, consider that position "inside the square" thinking. But as most Australians recognise, Joining American thinkers inside the US square, has resulted in what may be described as a paradigmatic shift in Australian thinking; in this case, future defense needs.

...In other words, Australia is (as usual), sensitive to US requirements, and will lock in Australian needs, according to existing defense treaties, with bias towards a US direction in US defense planning.

"What this means is that we become the place of first strike if there is a war."

So what else is new?

In typical post nuclear war apocalyptic scenarios, Australia sees itself as surviving uncathed but in fact, since we host the US miltary spy bases that allowed them to pinpoint the source of any USSR nuclear missile launches we were in fact the prime target for any anti-US strike.

The targets were not only the bases themselves but all the major cities so any data telemetry could not be transmitted back to the US.

Cannon-fodder to some or sacrificial lamb to others - makes little difference in the end.

The likelihood of any sort of foreign invasion or attack is ridiculously remote in any case. In a war between China and the US they will be likely fighting over who gets the spoils, not in our defence.

would not worry to much as Stephen Smith is very unlikely along with his colleagues to be in power after the next election. The minister for disarmament actually showed some promise in the early days until he used politics to trash a man's career who turned out to be totally innocent while defending Thomson. This Governments word is not credible.

Steven Smith did look shaken.
As would most, I think Rudd would have been a little more harsh in reminding the Chinese we are a free nation.
Arjay I can never be quite sure when addressing you, do you think there is a conspiracy/plan in case of problems?
America is our only Allie who could be any help in a war.
Smith in the end did very well.
My question to China is why the closer defense ties with Russia, why increasing bases in parts of the Pacific they have never before had a part in ?

How right you are, runner...it's not as if the Libs under Howard sycophantic toadies of the U.S. under Bush. : )