‘Fantasyland’: Hastie says rules-based order is dead as Australian troops declared safe after UAE base drone strike | Australian foreign policy
Coalition frontrunner Andrew Hastie declared that anyone who thinks rules-based order still exists is living in a “fantasy land” as the US-Israeli war on Iran escalates and the government confirms Australian troops in the region are safe following a drone strike at the weekend.
Australian soldiers deployed to the defense force’s headquarters in the United Arab Emirates have all been accounted for after a drone strike at the weekend, the federal government said, amid a growing conflict sparked by US and Israeli bombings in Iran.
Defense minister Richard Marles confirmed on Tuesday that all Australian soldiers working at Al Minhad air base were not injured in the attack after Iran launched retaliatory strikes on nearby countries following attacks led by US president Donald Trump and Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
“All the Australians there are safe and accounted for,” Marles said on Tuesday.
“We have more than 100 staff in the Middle East. Most of them are based in the UAE, where we have had our operational headquarters in Al Minhad for many years.”
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This comes as the government defends the bombings amid criticism from international law experts that the United States and Israel acted without legal authorization.
Speaking to ABC TV, Marles said Iran was trying to obtain a nuclear weapon in violation of international non-proliferation agreements, but that it was “a matter for the United States and Israel to justify the legal aspect of their actions.”
“But there is no doubt that the world cannot trust Iran with its nuclear program,” Marles said. “Preventing Iran from acquiring this capability is extremely essential for global security.”
But Liberal MP Andrew Hastie dismissed concerns about the international rules-based order, saying it was “nice to talk about” but irrelevant to Trump acting like a “top opportunist” in the White House.
“I don’t think that exists anymore, and anyone who says it does is living in a fantasy world. This is a new world order.”
“I think the world is ruled by force, and I would prefer a strong United States to restore deterrence rather than other countries like Russia using force to advance their own national interests.”
But SAS veteran Hastie warned that war was “a very, very risky business” and said the Iranians might be wondering whether they were “trading one tyrant for another”.
“This is a blunt instrument for regime change, which I think is part of Donald Trump’s strategy.
“Having been involved in wars for the last 15-20 years, I am cautious about regime change and will be watching closely,” he said.
Australia has maintained a smaller force at Al Minhad air base since the end of operations in Afghanistan. Last year Defense said there were around 50 core ADF personnel at the base at any one time and a total of 70 to 80 Australians.
Known as HQME, the center has supported ADF missions and contingencies since 2003.
Contingency planning is underway in Canberra to help the territory’s 115,000 Australians; This includes moves to help thousands of passengers caught up in airline disruption.
Foreign minister Penny Wong spoke to her UAE counterpart Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan on Tuesday.
He said the UAE was working hard to safely allow flights out of the country and confirmed accommodation and meals were being provided to Australians affected by travel disruptions in the UAE.
The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade said it was working on thousands of records from the UAE and other countries to verify the status and welfare of Australian citizens, permanent residents and their dependents.
