Allan Behm

Allan Behm heads the International and Security Affairs Program at The Australia Institute, Canberra

Allan's recent articles

The doomed conceit of a political AUKUS

The doomed conceit of a political AUKUS

Three years on, there is still no compelling argument, strategic or otherwise, for Australia’s acquiring eight Virginia-class nuclear-­propelled submarines (SSNs). Nor is there any compelling calculation of the large lick of funding – $368bn and more – that the program will soak up. Only Defence seems able to command such stupendous outlays when childcare, aged care, Medicare rebates, the National Disability Insurance Scheme, education and social housing fight it out for every cent they can get. The opportunity costs outweigh the value of the opportunity.

"Acceptance" of Israel's extreme brutality and "concern" at the slaughter of Palestinians are irreconcilable

"Acceptance" of Israel's extreme brutality and "concern" at the slaughter of Palestinians are irreconcilable

Like most of the US allies, Australia is caught between a rock and a hard place.

Defence: who are we, what do we stand for?

Defence: who are we, what do we stand for?

Allan Behm, head of international and security at the Australia Institute, discusses foreign affairs, defence, AUKUS and security issues facing Australia. Behm poses the question: do we know who we are and what we stand for in attempting to secure our national interest?

Who pays the piperuniversities dance to the AUKUS tune

Who pays the piperuniversities dance to the AUKUS tune

When AUKUS was announced, the ANU was quick off the mark to cash in.

Webs and deceit: The politics of AUKUS

Webs and deceit: The politics of AUKUS

Oh, what a tangled web we weave, when first we practise to deceive!

AUKUS: Submarines on the never never, or castles in the sky?

AUKUS: Submarines on the never never, or castles in the sky?

AUKUS has landed well, sort of.

When ambassadorial style overshadows the diplomatic substance

When ambassadorial style overshadows the diplomatic substance

Japans Ambassador to Australia, HE Shingo Yamagami, enjoys his media profile. He appears frequently on Sky News, advises Australia publicly on how it should manage its official relations with China, and describes himself as a former spymaster. Maybe the Ambassador aspires to be a legend in his own lunchtime.

Paul Keating on Australias national interest, Taiwan, and the absurdity of war

Paul Keating on Australias national interest, Taiwan, and the absurdity of war

Australia is still trying to find its place in Asia, Paul Keating says, which explains why were so preoccupied with Taiwan and China.

Paul Keating on Australia's national interest, Taiwan, and the absurdity of war

Paul Keating on Australia's national interest, Taiwan, and the absurdity of war

Australia is still trying to find its place in Asia, Paul Keating says, which explains why we're so preoccupied with Taiwan and China.

Scott Morrison's giant nuclear election ploy that will put us in the front line against China

Scott Morrison's giant nuclear election ploy that will put us in the front line against China

Australias decision to join with the United States and the United Kingdom to build Australian long-range nuclear-powered submarines (SSNs) has little to do with the defence of Australia.

Mischief, Disingenuousness and the Doctrine of Ministerial Discretion by Bridget McKenzie.

Mischief, Disingenuousness and the Doctrine of Ministerial Discretion by Bridget McKenzie.

Things are seldom what they seem/skim milk masquerades as cream/highlows pass as patent leathers/jackdaws strut in peacocks feathers is an even more appropriate description of whats going on in the Morrison government than it was for HMS Pinafore.

War Crimes? What war crimes? Nothing to see here

Burying crimes under layers of legal process is tantamount to cover-up. And cover-ups destroy democracy. Just another one to add to the list of evidence showing the Morrison government's problem with accountability - sports rorts and the bonanza for Liberal donors from the Leppington Triangle land deal being just two examples.

War Crimes: Where does ultimate responsibility lie? Only a Royal Commission will determine the answer

The Brereton report has major deficiencies around where ultimate responsibility lies for war crimes in Afghanistan. To understand this and to eradicate the cultural and systemic causes of the alleged crimes, we need a Royal Commission.

Intelligence is the servant of policy, not its substitute

Jack Waterford has provided a scathing assessment of the role of the intelligence and security agencies in Australias current contretemps with China. How should we evaluate the suggestion that the conduct of our international relations is driven more by intelligence than it is by policy?

Securitisation: How to magnify problems rather than solve them

When governments have little idea of what constitutes a wicked problem, and even less idea of how to deal with it, their default position is to securitise a problem - turning it into a problem to be solved by law enforcement, military and para-military methods.

AUSMIN, ANZUS and the need for contemporary relevance

On Sunday afternoon, the Ministers for Foreign Affairs and Defence departed Canberra aboard a RAAF A-330 on their pilgrimage to Washington DC for the annual Australia-US Ministerial (AUSMIN) talks.

In the Australia-China relationship, name calling won't help.

It is easy for governments to disguise their inability to manage complex relationships by resorting to finger-pointing and name-calling.

Securitisation Turning Problems into Threats

One of the more disturbing tendencies of modern governments is to transform policy problems into threats, thereby elevating them into the national security domain as the political rhetoric extends further into hyperbole.

Time to rethink national security

Following the summer bushfires, the COVID-19 pandemic has smashed even further the livelihoods and the lifestyles of many Australians. The hit to the national economy will be comparable to that of WW2.

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