Apart from numerous worldwide threats including from China, Iran, North Korea and Russia, the US is taking more notice of Africa due to the expansion of extremist organisations on the continent.
Is serious reform to stamp out political corruption in Iraq even possible given inevitable opposition from those with a vested interest in the status quo?
Australia must have a realistic view of the end goal in increasing its efforts in the fight against Islamic State in Syria, and start planning to stabilise and rebuild any territory retaken.
We need to find ways of speaking about the horrific actions of Islamic State that help, not hinder, understanding of the magnitude of those crimes and what needs to be done to combat them.
So far, Tony Abbott has failed to position himself as anything more than an opposition leader who has been given power and is unsure what to do with it.
Australia should keep out of the Syrian conflict. Instead, it should respect the rule of law and the peaceful resolution of disputes by promoting a diplomatic end.
DFAT secretary Peter Varghese sat down with Michelle Grattan to talk about aid, the integration of AUSAID, Islamic State, the Asian century and much, much more.
While symoblic, an increase in Australian firepower in the fight against Islamic State in Syria will not greatly affect the battlespace’s fundamental reality.