Report Reveals Tony Abbott Suggested A Solo Australian Military Invasion Of Iraq

Australian voters expect—or in some cases, don’t expect—a lot from their Prime Minister. But I don’t think anyone could have expected this: the captain’s call to end them all. 

The Australian reports that a meeting was held regarding the proposal on November 25 last year, to allegedly no protest from his Chief of Staff Peta Credlin or his present colleagues. When the military was consulted on the move, however, the reaction was far less blasé. The military were “stunned”, according to The Australian, about a solo Australian mission without the aid of the United States or NATO. I’m stunned and grappling with the concept that this was an actual, legitimate suggestion by our PM. 

An Australian invasion of Iraq would make our country the only Western force with troops on the ground and actively pursuing the Islamic State, a simple fact that surely would have deterred Abbott from suggesting the move even remotely, even thinking it out loud in private. Let alone calling a meeting on the proposal. 

The developments revealed today have shed light on the running of Prime Minister Abbott’s office, under the leadership of Chief of Staff Peta Credlin. An investigative report by The Australian, claiming her power and the discontent within the office is at boiling point:

“Credlin’s control over Abbott appears complete — she decides who he sees, what the agenda is, who is appointed to run the offices of cabinet ministers, the order of cabinet business,” the report claims.

The captain’s call suggesting a unilateral invasion of Iraq was, keep in mind, months before Tony Abbott’s crippling decision to knight Prince Philip on Australia Day. That decision toppled into a leadership spill; what will this captain’s call bring? Drama is coming, folks.

And potential conflicts with the Islamic State aside, isn’t the most concerning and confusing thing about today’s revelation that it is, in fact, the Murdoch-run ‘The Australian’ that’s aiming fire at Tony Abbott? The tables have turned.

via The Australian.