About this episode
The episode discusses the ongoing Middle East stalemate, US foreign policy under Trump, and Australia's defense strategy as articulated by Shadow Defence Minister James Paterson.
The stalemate in the Middle East continues with neither the US or Iran backing down. US President Donald Trump continues to do the bidding of Russia by withdrawing some troops from Germany. On the local scene, Shadow Defence Minister James Paterson addressed the National Press Club and outlined a vision noticeably different from the government's - particularly regarding the US alliance. He stated the obvious that under Trump the US is no longer the reliable, predictable ally it once was. He remains enthusiastic about the purchase of nuclear-powered submarines but is less certain about their delivery schedule. He said that AUKUS Pillar One needs to be examined in detail and if it looks like the schedule is slipping, Australia should consider alternatives such as the purchase of B-21 long range bombers. We conclude with some wise words from former foreign minister Gareth Evans and DFAT head Peter Varghese. Both believe Australia could be doing a lot more to strengthen our security without being totally dependent on the US. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
People in this episode
Guest: James Paterson
Topics covered
- Middle East conflict
- US-Iran relations
- Australian defense policy
- AUKUS agreement
- US alliance
- military procurement
Keywords
- Middle East
- US foreign policy
- James Paterson
- AUKUS
- nuclear submarines
- B-21 bombers
- defense strategy
- Trump
- Australia security
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: AUKUS, National Press Club, DFAT
Products: B-21 long range bombers, nuclear-powered submarines
Places: Germany, Middle East
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