John Menadue,  Richard Woolcott

RICHARD WOOLCOTT. Australian governments have made us more at risk from terrorism.

We should not refer to ISIS as a state. It Is not a state. It has no Air Force or navy. It has no fixed boundaries. It is really a series of militant groups. It behaves in a ruthless manner, as does Saudi Arabia and its agents in Yemen.  

ISIS derives benefit to its status from being called a state and successfully exploits what it often refers to as predominantly Western intervention managed by the United States.

When Abbott was Prime Minister he said that the primary role of the Prime Minister was to make the Australian people safer. But his strident attitudes towards Russia, Ukraine, Malaysia, Indonesia and towards NATO’s base close to the Polish boarder, ensured that they are now less safe than they were.

While the Turnbull Government has been much less strident, it has not changed the policies and the Australian people remain less safe than they were.

The views expressed in this article may or may not reflect those of Pearls and Irritations.

John Menadue

John Menadue is the Founder and Editor in Chief of Pearls and Irritations. He was formerly Secretary of the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet under Gough Whitlam and Malcolm Fraser, Ambassador to Japan, Secretary of the Department of Immigration and CEO of Qantas.

Richard Woolcott

Richard Woolcott was formerly President of the UN Security Council and Secretary of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. He is currently a consultant to the Asia Society.

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