Writer
Mack Williams
Mack Williams is former ambassador to the Republic of Korea.
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MACK WILLIAMS. Trump: Beginning of end or end of beginning?
Following the major Republican defeat in the US mid-term elections, President Trump has accelerated preparations for his 2020 re-election replacing “Make America Great Again” with “Keep America Great” as the theme. This will put more pressure on achieving his initial campaign rhetoric to clear the decks. But the series of problems he encountered in the Continue reading »
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MACK WILLIAMS. North Korea: second fiddle?
Not surprisingly North Korea was relegated by the US:China “tariff war” in the recent G20 summit in Buenos Aires but some progress may have been made in preparing for the next phases of US:DPRK and ROK:DPRK dialogues. China also made clear the linkage between its trade disputes with the US and the extent of their Continue reading »
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MACK WILLIAMS. Australia-US Defence Relationship: Are we in the “prudent planning“ phase already?
The publication by the ABC of a previously highly classified analysis of the ADF’s logistic problems in the early phase of Gulf War 11 has shed some critical light on the process by which Australia joined in that war. It underlined the urgent need to review the role of ADF generals and other senior personnel Continue reading »
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MACK WILLIAMS. New Cold War: Just how independent can Australia be ?
As renewed discussion grows pace in Australia about being less dependent on the United States in any Cold War against China how realistic is that option? For one thing we would need to loosen some of the linkages which have embedded us so deeply into the US defence machine through the US Indo Pacific Command Continue reading »
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MACK WILLIAMS. Korea: Still many challenges ahead
Despite President Trump’s exchange of “love letters” with the North Korean leader, from the public record it seems that Secretary of State Pompeo’s last discussions with Kim Jong-un in Pyongyang failed to achieve any significant breakthrough on denuclearisation. But there have been several important developments in the Korean scene over the past few months which Continue reading »
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MACK WILLIAMS. Korea: We’re here because we are here!
Korean issues have often been edged out of the headlines in the past few months by a plethora of other global issues but they remain far from being resolved. “War War” been replaced by “Jaw Jaw” at least for the moment. Much is still simmering along largely beneath the radar. And much has been clouded Continue reading »
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MACK WILLIAMS. Korea: what should Australia be doing?
While the pace of media reports about the Korean Peninsular has slowed a little since the Singapore Summit there has been much going on – in public and under wraps. Skepticism about the North’s commitment to the core issue of denuclearisation has grown but it is still clearly too early to form definite conclusions about Continue reading »
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MACK WILLIAMS. North Korea – managing Donald !
Amid the avalanche of reporting and commentary of the Singapore Summit one needs to step back to assess just how the Trump’s much vaunted (by him) negotiating style so far has played out . This is not just an academic exercise. It is vital for countries like Australia whose future has become so entwined within Continue reading »
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MACK WILLIAMS. Korea : After Panmunjeom
Much has been written about the recent Kim:Moon Summit and its communique. The signs on the interKorean front are encouraging but all still hinges on how the Kim:Trump Summit. It will have to address the absolutely critical issue of “denuclearisation” – what it actually means and how could it be achieved. There is still far Continue reading »
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MACK WILLIAMS. North Korea – it’s summit time!
The pace of developments on the Korean peninsular in the past month or so has been breathtaking matched by the plethora of pundits who have sought to interpret what it all means and where we may be headed. Not surprisingly given the history and geography and the stakeholders involved much of coverage has been confusing Continue reading »
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MACK WILLIAMS. Vanuatu : Chinese Cargo Cult ?
Fairfax Media’s awakened interest in the South Pacific would have been only too welcome if it had not been sparked by a leak from the all too familiar ‘senior defence sources’ in Canberra and Washington which so distorted the scene. Continue reading »
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MACK WILLIAMS. North Korea: What now?”
President Trump’s positive response to Kim Jong-un’s invitation to direct talks naturally has created a swirl of media commentary and speculation. It has served Trump’s interest to promote a sense of surprise though it probably also reflects a considerable amount of activity by a number of stakeholders in recent months. Given the DPRK’s track record Continue reading »
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Admiral Harris : Ambassador or Viceroy?
The appointment of Admiral Harris as Ambassador to Australia raises serious concerns about the role he will play in the development of Australian strategic policy as we seek to maintain the sort of relationship with China and the US outlined in the White Paper. Continue reading »
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MACK WILLIAMS. Revisiting Australian strategic policy in the light of NDS18 – Where to start ?
The new US strategic policy requires serious and urgent revisiting of our key strategic policy positions to identify implications it has for Australia. Any attempt to minimise differences for short term political gain could endanger the nation’s longer term future. Continue reading »
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MACK WILLIAMS. China : “All the way with USA” ?
The Turnbull Government was clearly caught flat-footed by the significant change in the Trump’s security strategy announced by Defense Secretary Mattis. Defence Minister Payne’s initial comment and background briefings had to be corrected quickly. All of which underlines the urgent need for detailed review of NDS18’s implications for Australian strategic policy. Continue reading »
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MACK WILLIAMS. New US National Defense Strategy: Back to the Cold War?
The new US National Defense Strategy heralds a new strategic direction under Trump which significantly reduces the priority of counter-terrorism and confirms a return to global competition with China and Russia with the basic objective to “outspend” both in defence. All of which has some serious implications for Australia. The influence of the US ‘junta Continue reading »
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MACK WILLIAMS. Adrift in the South China Sea? -A REPOST from May 22 2017
While Washington is paralysed by alleged White House scandal the US has taken its eye off the South China Sea. Continuing developments in the region have reinforced China’s position. Australia cannot afford to delay its own examination of our long term national interests in our neighbourhood. Continue reading »
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MACK WILLIAMS. Breaking the ice at Pyeongchang?
The decision by the DPRK to reopen high level talks with the ROK next week in preparation for the Winter Olympics is monumental for the ROK. Followed by the US:ROK decision to defer major military exercises at the time of the Games it could well provide an opportunity for informal contacts which could lead eventually Continue reading »
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MACK WILLIAMS. 2017 Foreign Policy White Paper : An urgent case for genuine change management !
The White Paper provides a long overdue but commendable assessment of the extensive challenges and opportunities for Australian foreign policy. It should have formed the basis for considered parliamentary debate. Unfortunately, while acknowledging for the first time the extent and pace of change, it offers few new or fresh ideas on how it should be Continue reading »
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MACK WILLIAMS. Muslim Mindanao: once more into a quagmire?
We need to be very careful in not overhyping the IS activity in Marawi and soliciting an invitation to military involvement without a comprehensive Australian review of the complex issues at stake in Mindanao and our wider relationship with the Philippines and the US. Continue reading »
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MACK WILLIAMS. The South Koreans are a critical part of the equation
As the shouting match becomes more heated between Kim Jong Un and President Trump the role of the popular new President Moon has become more difficult. The most likely casualties in any outbreak of military exchanges would be the population of Seoul and would be very large. These must be considered properly in advance of Continue reading »
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Talisman Sabre just confuses strategic thinking for Australia
The recent joint US:Australian Talisman Sabre joint military exercise has added further confusion to the challenge of determining sensible Australian strategic thinking. US talk of a joint expeditionary force to combat IS terrorism in SE Asia camouflages an attempt by senior US military to draw Australia into a much closer US embrace. Continue reading »
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MACK WILLIAMS. North Korea ICBM threat to Australia.
The DPRK’s recent ICBM test raises some extremely serious concerns for Australia which will need to be carefully considered by the Australian Government before it rushes off into decision making on the run as has been the case in the past week of hyperventilation. Any attraction of the DPRK to include Australia as a target Continue reading »
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MACK WILLIAMS. Mindanao call to the Caliphate !!
Media coverage of the claimed IS connections of the jihadists in Marawi have highlighted their call for a “caliphate”. The intractable scene in Mindanao indeed is concerning but it is born out a much longer and different history than elsewhere – one where the US (and others) have long been involved. Australia needs to be Continue reading »
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MACK WILLIAMS. Trump’s ‘smart cookies’
President Trump’s characterisation of Kim Jong-un as a “smart cookie” illustrates the learning process he is undergoing about how to operate in Asia and who might be contributing to it. Learning how to manage President Duterte may be another challenge. Continue reading »
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MACK WILLIAMS. Korean Peninsula – just where are we right now?
So much is going on in the different channels between the US and China, China and the DPRK and by now maybe US and DPRK that reading the tea leaves is an almost impossible – if not frantic – task. The situation remains extremely high risk and crystal ball gazing is near to fantasy. Continue reading »
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MACK WILLIAMS. Canberra wrong-footed in our region?
For Ms Bishop to be talking in Singapore about China and democracies, the Japanese “big ship” and rallying the claimants while pleading with the US to remain staunchly committed in the region certainly is risky. We could be exposed as being more hard line than the US might turn out to be and interpreted as Continue reading »
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MACK WILLIAMS. Joint patrols with Indonesia in the South China Sea?
Has Foreign Minister Bishop finally been able to kill off the proposed joint Australia: Indonesia patrols in the South China Sea ? Continue reading »
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MACK WILLIAMS. South China Sea: China taps in the last nail!
It is now clear for all to see that the only potential US “ally” for any US confrontation in the region could be Australia. China has successfully wedged the ASEAN’s in through their common concern that it would be them that would suffer most from any military confrontation in the South China Sea. Continue reading »
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MACK WILLIAMS. When and how to say ‘no’. Darwin?
We cannot remain oblivious to the fact that the creeping incrementalism, which has characterised the Defence Postures relationship, is likely to slip us into positions from which it would become increasingly difficult to say No. We need a line in the sand now to prevent this happening. Continue reading »