APSNet 26 June 2008

1. Australia Signs on to Truce on Whaling
2. Afghan Casualties Spook US Generals
3. Neighbourhood Watch: The Evolving Terrorist Threat in Southeast Asia
4. Indonesian Defense Ministry Offers Some Options on Budget Cuts
5. Global Warming to Hit Security: Report
6. Pacific Appeals to Fiji to let Peters in
7. Northern Territory Emergency Response Taskforce: Final Report to Government

1. Australia Signs on to Truce on Whaling, Andrew Darby, Age, 2008-06-26

Australia joined a truce at the International Whaling Commission, and will be one of a select group of countries working for agreement. Within hours of the agreement being reached, Environment Minister Peter Garrett moderated his criticism. Asked whether Australia would now tone down its criticism of Japan, and take less action to stop next season’s whaling, Mr Garrett said the Government would “continue to engage fully on the issue”.

• Japan, Australia Clash at Whaling Meet, ABC, 2008-06-26
• International Whaling Commission, Press Release, 60th Annual and Associated Meetings, Santiago, Chile 2008-06-24

2. Afghan Casualties Spook US Generals, Peter Spiegel and Julian Barnes, Age, 2008-06-26

Insurgent activity is increasing sharply in Afghanistan and has spread into once stable areas, with attacks up almost 40% in the eastern provinces alone, according to new US military data. The rising attacks against Afghan and NATO troops are the latest in a series of developments that have led to higher US casualties and have prompted the military’s top leadership to order a review of its strategy in Afghanistan.

• Germany to Send More Troops to Afghanistan, Craig Whitlock, Washington Times, 2008-06-26
• Russia Joins the War in Afghanistan, M K Bhadrakumar, Asia Times, 2008-06-24
• Coalition Forces, Australia in Afghanistan, Nautilus Institute

3. Neighbourhood Watch: The Evolving Terrorist Threat in Southeast Asia, Peter Chalk and Carl Ungerer, ASPI, 2008-06-25

It is time to take stock of the regional security environment and to ask how the Southeast Asian terrorist threat might evolve in the future. Canberra will need to demonstrate a long-term political commitment to multilateral security cooperation as a central pillar of regional engagement. Bilateral counter-terrorism initiatives will remain an important cornerstone of this endeavour. But it will also require a more concerted effort to bring Australia’s regional counter-terrorism policy into a single program of action.

• Building National Security: Domestic and International Policing, Commissioner Mick Keelty, ASPI, 2008-05-29
• A Different Tack on Terror, Jayshree Bajoria, Council on Foreign Relations, 2008-06-25

4. Indonesian Defense Ministry Offers Some Options on Budget Cuts, Jakarta Post,2008-06-26

In response to the Finance Ministry’s plan to cut budget allocations for every government office, the Defense Ministry said it would propose three further alternatives for discussion. Defense Minister Juwono Sudarsono said, “The ministry will propose, first, a cut of Rp 700 billion(about US$76.33 million), or about 2 percent; second, about 46 percent; and third, about 15percent, out of the ministry’s 2008 budget of Rp 36.4 trillion.”

5. Global Warming to Hit Security: Report, AP, Age, 2008-06-26

Global warming is likely to increase illegal immigration, create humanitarian disasters and destabilise precarious governments in political hot spots, all of which could affect US national security, according to an assessment by US intelligence agencies. The national intelligence assessment on the national security implications of global climate change to 2030 offer the consensus judgment of top analysts at all 16 US spy agencies on major foreign policy, security and global economic issues.

• Climate change and security – analysis and policy, Reframing Australia-Indonesia Security, Nautilus Institute

6. Pacific Appeals to Fiji to let Peters in, Michael Field, Stuff.Co.NZ, 2008-06-26

The Pacific Forum has issued an appeal to Fiji’s military regime asking them to let NZ Foreign Minister Winston Peters into Suva next month. Coup leader Voreqe Bainimarama ended Fijian cooperation with a Forum working group monitoring the country’s progress toward democracy. He claimed it was dominated by New Zealand and Australia.

7. Northern Territory Emergency Response Taskforce: Final Report to Government, Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs, June 2008 [PDF]

This is the final report to the government from the Northern Territory Emergency Response (NTER) Taskforce. Major General Chalmers’s role as Operational Commander is crucial in managing the roll-out of the emergency response. Major General Chalmers and his team at the Operations Centre are responsible for ensuring rapid, coherent and coordinated on-the-ground rollout of the response and operational effort.

• Operation Outreach, Department of Defence

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Richard Tanter,
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