DAVID KOCH:
Joining me now is Prime Minister Tony Abbott. Prime Minister, thanks for your time this morning. There are so many trouble spots around the world where communities are at risk. Why are we going back to Iraq?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well, this is a potential humanitarian catastrophe. President Obama has labelled this a potential genocide. There has been a request from the United States Government. It will be done with the support of the Iraqi Government and it will be done in conjunction with other countries – the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Canada and Italy. So, there is an overall humanitarian objective here because we have all seen on our screens, Kochie, just how evil this ISIL movement is. We have seen the beheadings, the crucifixions, the mass executions, the driving of innocent people from their homes, the destruction of ancient communities. It is important not to stand aside in the face of what is pure evil.
DAVID KOCH:
I think everybody would agree with you, but how far are you prepared to go? SAS troops will provide security for the Australian flights. Are they the only soldiers we will be sending to Iraq for the time being and are there future possibilities of more soldiers?
PRIME MINISTER:
Kochie, I'm certainly not going to comment on exactly who may or may not be in these aircraft. That's an operational matter. It's not something that I ought to comment on or should be speculated upon. There are two elements to our involvement: there is the humanitarian air drops – and we saw one to Amerli early yesterday, we saw one to Mount Sinjar a week or so back – and then later in the week, we will be part of a military airlift involving a number of other countries to the Kurdish parts of Iraq. Again, I stress it is being done at the request of the United States, with the support of the Iraqi Government, in conjunction with other countries.
DAVID KOCH:
You say, though, ISIL is pure evil. Most people would agree with you. How far are you prepared to go? Are you – if required by the US – are you prepared to send in more troops, ground fighting, the lot?
PRIME MINISTER:
I certainly don't rule out further military involvement but I do rule out combat troops on the ground. That's President Obama's position. That's the position of the Australian Government. As I understand it, it's also the position of the British Government. But I stress, whatever might be done in the future – and there has been no formal request, no decision made – whatever might be done in the future, it will be in partnership with our allies and it will be with the support of the Iraqi Government. So, there is a world of difference between what is happening now and what happened ten years or so back.
DAVID KOCH:
Andrew Wilkie and The Greens say the Parliament should have been consulted first. Why wasn't it?
PRIME MINISTER:
There's a standard procedure when it comes to the commitment of Australian forces. The National Security Committee of the Cabinet considers the matter. The full Cabinet considers the matter. A decision is taken. The Opposition Leader is consulted. That's the standard procedure. It's always been thus. As far as I'm concerned, it always will be thus. The commitment of the military forces of the Commonwealth is a matter for the executive government. Obviously, the executive government is accountable to the parliament. The executive government is formed because it commands a majority in the parliament but the decision to commit troops is not a matter for the parliament, it's a matter for the executive government, although obviously it may well be – and invariably is – the subject to Parliamentary debate.
DAVID KOCH:
The issue of providing weapons to the Kurdish militants to fight back. Do you have any concerns about that?
Sort of history tells us that often those weapons can be turned on others, turned on other minorities, or sometimes turned on ourselves.
PRIME MINISTER:
Kochie, these are not weapons that are being supplied to Kurdish militants. These are weapons sourced from eastern Europe which will be carried by Australian and other aircraft into the Kurdish parts of Iraq for supply to the regional government, the Kurdish regional government, and it will be used by the regular forces of the Kurdish regional government, the Peshmerga, and obviously the Peshmerga are operating in conjunction with the regular forces of the Iraqi Government. So, we are not supplying militants. We are supplying the armed forces of the Kurdish regional government.
DAVID KOCH:
Prime Minister, I really appreciate your time. Thank you for joining us.
[ends]