I rise to update the House on the fight against Daesh.
Mr Speaker, as honourable members are aware the Iraqi Prime Minister Haider Al-Abadi has announced that Iraqi Security Forces have commenced operations to liberate Mosul from the terrorist group, Daesh, or ISIL.
Mr Speaker, Australia is making a very significant vital contribution to this campaign as our forces have done in the successful recapture of other centres from Daesh such as Ramadi.
The ADF, as part of the broader Coalition, will continue to support the Iraqi Security Forces throughout the Mosul offensive.
Iraqi Security Force units are being trained by Task Group Taji as part of our Building Partner Capacity Mission.
And our Special Operations Task Group is supporting the Iraqi Counter-Terrorism Service’s 1st Iraqi Special Operations Forces Brigade. That is their elite unite.
And, Mr Speaker, Australia’s Air Task Group is conducting airstrikes and providing air support including in the vicinity of Mosul.
Mr Speaker, I had the honour of meeting our service men and women in Iraq in January and thanking them for their service to our nation, and I know that they, along with all our forces, will continue to make us proud as they fight in freedom’s name defending our national interest.
Mr Speaker, let there be no doubt as to the importance of liberation of Mosul – it is the largest city in Iraq remaining under Daesh.
In my discussions only last month with Prime Minister Abadi in New York, he noted how important the Australian contribution to the anti-Daesh effort has been and when I saw him earlier in the year he thanked me for our forces efforts then as well. The Iraqi Government and people understand how important the role of the Australian Defence Force is as they seek to secure and liberate their own nation.
We discussed the upcoming battle. He acknowledged the liberation of Mosul would be difficult, with no guarantees on the length of the fight or the determination of the Daesh fighters to hold the city.
Daesh is losing on the battlefield. Its territory is shrinking, its resources are deteriorating, its numbers are substantially reduced.
Daesh’s myth of invincibility which has been part of its recruiting platform has been shattered but there is more to be done.
Daesh knows that Mosul is one of its last strongholds and it will sacrifice its fighters in suicide attacks – it will use the civilians, the residence of Mosul as shields. This will be a terrible battle to recapture Mosul.
Mr Speaker, the defeat of Daesh is critical for Iraq, for the region and for Australia.
From Daesh-controlled territory in Iraq and Syria, this Islamist terrorist network has directed and inspired attacks in Australia and the West.
Since September 2014, there have been four terrorist attacks in Australia and in each case the attacker claimed allegiance to or was inspired by Daesh.
In those two years alone our agencies have successfully disrupted a further 11 terrorist attacks.
Ten of these involved individuals with some allegiance to Daesh – the most recent just last week in Sydney where two teenagers were charged with terrorism offences.
The reach of this violent ideology is why we must give the ADF, on the frontline of this fight, all of the powers they need.
That is why on 1st September, I announced that the Government had reviewed its policy on targeting enemy combatants to ensure our forces are empowered to act against Daesh to the full extent allowed by international law.
And that is why we moved quickly to introduce the necessary amendments to the Commonwealth Criminal Code to ensure that ADF personnel will be supported by our domestic laws as they target Daesh and kill its fighters.
Mr Speaker, taking back Mosul and the destruction of Daesh’s so-called Caliphate is a military and strategic imperative – but let me be very clear, it will not mark the end of this conflict.
There will be a need to establish order and maintain stability - tasks which could be even more difficult and protracted than the recapture of the city.
This is the context in which, in July this year, we expanded the mandate of our Building Partner Capacity training mission to include within the range of agencies that we are supporting and training, Iraqi law enforcement agencies.
Helping train these law enforcement agencies to hold and stabilise territory will assist Iraq to take responsibility for its own security.
That is why our work in the Middle East must be ongoing.
As Daesh loses ground, it will try to find new ways to incite fear and division and propagate the illusion of momentum, including by encouraging and inspiring attacks against civilian populations in the West, including our own nation.
To protect Australians, we are redoubling our efforts at home, providing our law enforcement and security agencies with the powers they need.
In addition to the targeting legislation, we introduced in the last sitting week a new law to establish a post-sentence preventative detention system. This will enable a continuing period of detention for high-risk terrorist offenders.
Both these Bills are currently before the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security, which will report next month.
I urge the Leader of the Opposition to take this opportunity to recommit as I am sure he will to bipartisan support for these critical changes to our laws.
Mr Speaker, as we continue the fight against Daesh on the battlefield in the Middle East, our thoughts and prayers are with our service men and women, along with their families at home.
All of them are putting their lives on the line. All of them are putting their heart and soul into keeping us safe and I know that every Member of this House, no matter what matters that might divide us or we might disagree on, all of us are with the men and women of the ADF and their families as they serve to keep us free.
[Ends]