Antinuclear

1000 US marines arrive in Darwin. What a target!

Why are there U.S. marines in Darwin? Independent Australia  Nick Deane 10 April 2014, The recent arrival of over a thousand marines in Darwin provides a risk for Australia, yet absolutely no reward, writes Nick Deane.

IF ONE COUNTRY INVITES the armed forces of another onto its territory, one would expect the government of the host country to have seen strategic benefits in the arrangement.

Furthermore, one would also expect, in a democracy, that this government would be happy to explain these benefits to its people. That should be simple enough.

In the case of Australia playing host to a garrison of more than 1,000 United States marines in Darwin for the next six months, the public has been offered no explanation about the strategic benefits. All we have been told (via a letter to IPAN-NSW from the Minister for Defence on 7 December 2012) is that the marines’ presence is an extension of our existing, long-standing alliance with the U.S. — as though the passage of time alone is sufficient justification for us to willingly accept foreign forces on our territory.

What is missing is any discussion of the strategic advantages to Australia that come from the presence of the U.S. garrison.

It is probably taken for granted that the advantage lies in the supposed ‘protection’ that it brings us. But are the marines really here for our protection?

And who actually benefits, in strategic terms, from this arrangement?

Certainly, the strategic benefits to the U.S. are large.

The marines occupy a ‘forward position’, thousands of kilometres beyond US territory. And, in the words of a report from CSBA (the Centre for Strategic and Budgetary Assessment):

‘Australia’s strong ties with America provide it with the means to preserve U.S. influence and military reach across the Indo-Pacific.’

Note: that’s the United States’ influence and military reach……..

 where is the benefit to Australia?

What we get out of it is the certainty that we are now directly involved, if hostilities break out between America and China. That would make parts of Australia potential targets for attack…..http://www.independentaustralia.net/article-display/why-are-there-us-marines-in-darwin,6370

April 11, 2014 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | Northern Territory, weapons and war