PRIME MINISTER:
The world has woken this morning to another televised decapitation. This just demonstrates that we are dealing with pure evil. This is a hideous movement that not only does evil, it revels in evil, it exults in evil, and it abundantly justifies what Australia and other countries are doing to assist people who are threatened by this murderous rage; to protect people who are at risk from this murderous rage.
QUESTION:
Mr Abbott, are the US air strikes working, or do we really need to step things up and put boots on the ground now in some sort of international action?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well, plainly, US air strikes have lifted the siege of Mount Sinjar; they have helped to lift the siege of Amerli; they helped to prevent further ISIL advance into the Kurdish regions of Iraq. Many countries are talking to one another about what is the best way forward here, but plainly, ISIL is a threat – not just to the people of the Middle East, but to the wider world.
This is a conflict which we understandably wish to avoid, but it is a conflict which, sadly, is reaching out to us as we have seen with the presence of some 60 Australians fighting with terrorist groups in this part of the world.
QUESTION:
Has Obama been too hesitant in taking action here?
PRIME MINISTER:
I think President Obama has responded with a mix of reason and appropriate anger against what we have all seen. We are right to be appalled – absolutely appalled – by what is happening in Iraq. It is abominable, unspeakable, repellent, abhorrent, but we obviously have to use our judgment in our response, and that’s exactly what the President has done.
Thank you.
[ends]