APSNet Semi-Weekly Bulletin, October 25, 2007

You are here: Home » Mailing lists » APSNet » Semi-Weekly Bulletin » APSNet Semi-Weekly Bulletin, October 25, 2007

Recommended Citation

"APSNet Semi-Weekly Bulletin, October 25, 2007", APSNet Semi-Weekly Bulletin, October 25, 2007, https://nautilus.org/apsnet/apsnet-for-20071025/

APSNet for 20071025

Austral Peace and Security Network (APSNet)

Twice weekly report from the Nautilus Institute at RMIT, Australia.

Thursday 25 October 2007

  1. Help Asked over Kurd Impasse
  2. South Korea: Government Panel Recommends Gradual Reduction of Korean Troops in Iraq
  3. US Optimistic about Afghanistan
  4. Islamist Insurgents Doing Well
  5. Australia Places Financial Bans on Burma’s Generals
  6. Solomon Islands to Review RAMSI
  7. What the Sea Gives, the Sea Can Take Away
  8. Indonesia: Coast Guard Argument Continues

Austral Policy Forum 07-19A: The Challenges of Piracy in Southeast Asia and the Role of Australia – Carolin Liss

  1. Help Asked over Kurd Impasse, Sarah Smiles, Age, 2007-10-25

    The Turkish ambassador, Mr Ersavci, has urged the Australian Government to use its diplomatic muscle to help mediate Turkey’s stand-off with Kurdish rebels in Iraq. “If we cannot find any diplomatic solution obviously there will be a very bitter and unavoidable intervention,” said Mr Ersavci, “We need our friends and allies, friends like Australia, to be fully supporting Turkey,” he said.

  2. Government Panel Recommends Gradual Reduction of Korean Troops in Iraq, Yonhap News, 2007-10-25

    A government panel suggested that the number of South Korean troops in Iraq be reduced gradually. The recommendation was made just days after President Roh Moo-hyun said he will soon present a motion to the National Assembly to extend the deployment of the Zaytun unit until the end of 2008, in an effort to reinforce US support for the ongoing six-party talks on North Korea’s nuclear ambitions.

  3. US Optimistic about Afghanistan, ABC, 2007-10-25

    The US Defence Secretary, Robert Gates, has expressed cautious optimism after America’s NATO allies pledged more troops for Afghanistan. The offer of more resources for the military campaign came during a NATO defence ministers’ meeting in the Netherlands. Germany and France are among the nine countries to have pledged additional troops.

  4. Islamist Insurgents Doing Well, Admits Army Chief, Tom Allard, SMH, 2007-10-25

    Insurgents in Afghanistan and Iraq are “doing well” as they successfully adopt tactics to neutralise the superior firepower of Western forces, the Chief of Army, Lieutenant-General Peter Leahy, said. In a veiled swipe at political leaders, he said the objectives of the missions in Afghanistan were “often faintly articulated”.

  5. Australia Places Financial Bans on Burma’s Generals, Craig Skehan, SMH, 2007-10-25

    The Foreign Affairs Minister, Alexander Downer, said a ban had been placed on specified Australian financial dealings with 418 individuals who are members of the Burmese military regime or its supporters. The list was put on the website of the Reserve Bank of Australia after the regime’s recent brutal suppression of protests led by monks.

  6. Solomon Islands to Review RAMSI, ABC, 2007-10-25

    The Solomon Islands government will go ahead with its plans to carry out its own review of the Regional Assistance Mission, RAMSI. Solomons Foreign Minister Patterson Oti said the government is hoping to complete the review by July 2008. He also said, despite criticism from Australia, New Zealand has pledged its support for the review.

  7. What the Sea Gives, the Sea Can Take Away, David Corlett, APO, 2007-10-24

    Not only is a community at risk, but there are national interest reasons to worry about the future of the Cocos Islands. The Australian government has declined to resettle Pacific islanders who are threatened with forced migration due to climate change-related factors. It will have little choice with the Cocos Malays. They are, after all, Australian citizens.

  8. Coast Guard Argument Continues, Desy Nurhayati, Jakarta Post, 2007-10-22

    Legislators are debating the necessity of a separate coast guard to secure the country’s vast seas. Yusron Ihza Mahendra, deputy chairman of House of Representatives Commission for security and defense said, “A separate coast guard is necessary to guard our maritime territory, considering the massive losses we have suffered from sea piracy, illegal fishing and other crimes at the sea.”

  9. Austral Policy Forum 07-19A – The Challenges of Piracy in Southeast Asia and the Role of Australia – Carolin Liss

    Carolin Liss of Murdoch University examines “the national and international responses to piracy in this region and discusses why, despite these efforts, piracy remains a security concern, suggesting that present anti-piracy measures target merely the symptoms but do not address the root causes of piracy: over-fishing, lax maritime regulations, the existence of organised crime syndicates, the presence of radical politically motivated groups in the region, and widespread poverty.” Liss argues that “combating piracy can consequently not be achieved only by those states in which pirate attacks actually occur. Indeed, countries like Australia with an interest in maritime security in Southeast Asia, can, and need to, support these broader anti-piracy measures.”

Partner newsletters