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Australian-United States
Defence Links
A presentation prepared by the
Medical Association for Prevention
of War
Australia and the United States of
America
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The United States is approaching 300 million
people, Australia has only 20 million

The United States spends more than $400
billion (USD) on defense, Australia spends
less than $13 billion (USD)

America is the world's only superpower,
Australia is a ‘Middle Power’
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History of the Alliance
History
“Without inhibitions of any kind, I make it quite
clear that Australia looks to America, free of
any pangs as to our traditional links or kinship
with the United Kingdom”
-Prime Minister John Curtin December 1944
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Early History
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World War II – American-Australian military
collaboration in the Pacific
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Post 1945 US military dominance in Asia
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1947-8 UKUSA agreement
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ASIO formed in 1949 with CIA assistance
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ASIS formed in 1950 with CIA assistance

ANZUS Treaty signed 1 September 1951
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Key Dates
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1950 Australian troops deployed to Korea
1963 North West Cape established
1965 Australia troops deployed to Vietnam
1966 Pine Gap established
1969 Nurrungar established
1990/1 Australian troops deployed to Iraq
2001 Australian troops deployed to
Afghanistan
2003 Australian troops deployed to Iraq
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The ANZUS Treaty
ANZUS

The treaty bound the signatories to:
 Recognize that an armed attack in the Pacific
area on any of them would endanger the
peace and safety of the others
 Consult in the event of a threat and, in the
event of attack, to meet the common danger in
accordance with their respective constitutional
processes
 Maintain and develop individual and collective
capabilities to resist attack
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ANZUS and New Zealand
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1985 New Zealand refused access to its ports by nuclearweapons-capable and nuclear-powered ships of the US
The US suspended defence obligations to New Zealand
The first US-Australia bilateral meeting was held in
Canberra in 1985
At the second, in San Francisco in 1986, the US and
Australia announced that the US was suspending its treaty
security obligations to New Zealand pending the restoration
of port access
Subsequent bilateral Australia-US Ministerial (AUSMIN)
meetings have alternated between Australia and the US
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ANZUS Today

The US-Australia alliance under the ANZUS
Treaty remains in full force
 ANZUS has no integrated defence structure or
dedicated forces. However, in fulfilment of
ANZUS obligations, Australia and the United
States conduct a variety of joint activities
 Prime Minister Howard invoked the ANZUS
Treaty for the first time on September 14, 2001
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War and the Australia-US
Alliance
Major Military Operations
Australia has joined the US in major
military operations in:
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Korea
Vietnam
Iraq/Kuwait
Afghanistan
Iraq
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The Invasion of Iraq

March 2003 Australia joins the US in
invading Iraq
 36% of Australians oppose the invasion
 2006 Australian troops still deployed in
Iraq (mainly protecting Japanese civilian
workers)
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The Invasion of Iraq
Between 20 March 2003 and 19 March
2005: 24,865 civilians killed
 This is equal to 1 in every 1000 Iraqis
 Adult males killed: 82%
 Adult Females killed: 9%
 42,500 civilians were reported wounded

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The Invasion of Iraq
Children:
 Nearly 1 in 10 of those killed were under the
age of 18
 Nearly 1 in 200 of those killed was a baby
aged 0-2
 Most adult victims were parents leaving behind
orphans and widows
 Children were disproportionately affected by
all explosive devices but most severely by air
strikes and unexploded ordinance
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Missile Defence
Current US proposal:
 Ground-based
midcourse
system (nationwide defence)
Initial deployment: 5 silo-based
interceptors in Alaska and
California in 2004 with
another 3 in 2005
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Sea-based ‘Aegis’
midcourse system
(theatre defence)
Upgrades: improvements to the
SPY-1 radar signal processor
and the Weapons Control
System to perform exoatmospheric engagements
*The first of the interceptors was
emplaced on 22 July 2004.
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Australia’s Role: history

US-Australian joint facilities used in missile
defence attempts: Nurrungar and Pine Gap
 Nurrungar used in Theatre Missile Defence
during 1991 Gulf War
 Political support for Strategic Defence
Initiative withheld by Hawke
 Coalition supported missile defence while in
opposition
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Australia’s Role : history
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US-Australian cooperation involving JORN
radar since 1995
 Australia formally announced involvement in
US missile defence system December 2003
 Australia and United States sign 25-year
MOU July 2004
Australian Defence and Foreign Affairs ministers and American Secretary
of State and Secretary of Defence at the signing of the MOU
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Australia’s Role : Technical
Involvement
Pine Gap
 JORN Radar
 Aegis ships (Theatre Missile Defence)

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Australia’s Role : Regional
Implications
China has publicly stated its opposition
to missile defence and made reference
to Australian involvement
 Indonesia has been Australia’s most
persistent critic on missile defence
 Australian procurement of long-range
cruise missiles has heightened regional
anxiety

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Where Does Missile Defence Stand
Today?
US system still not operational
 Limited success in TMD tests
 All other tests have been complete
failures
 Research and development into MKVs
 Canada and Taiwan limiting their support
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Why is Missile Defence of Concern to
Doctors?
Proliferation of WMD – grave health risk
 Illusion of protection
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Consequences of an operational system
“Real security lies in diplomacy, not in developing new weapons
systems. Australia's involvement in missile defence would lead to
greater vulnerability within our region, as well as implicating us in
a scheme that will lead to the further proliferation of weapons of
mass destruction and the missiles for their delivery. This will
undermine international security and stability”
Medical Association for Prevention of War, July 2004
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Recommendations
ANZUS and Regional Security
MAPW encourages the Australian
Government to:
Work
cooperatively within our region to truly
strengthen the fabric of peace in the Asia-Pacific
region
Comprehensively review our commitment to the
ANZUS treaty
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Australia’s Security
MAPW encourages the Australian
Government to:
Thoroughly
examine how Australian involvement in
the Afghanistan and Iraq conflicts have affected our
security
Re-orient current policies with the US to address the
root causes of terrorism, promote human security,
including its social, educational, economic,
environmental, and human rights dimensions, and
strengthen the international rule of law
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Multilateral and International
Commitments
MAPW encourages the Australian
Government to:
Use
the leverage we are said to acquire through
ANZUS to encourage the legally binding commitment
of the US to eliminate all nuclear weapons through the
1967 Non-Proliferation Treaty
Lobby for a Nuclear Weapons Convention
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Pine Gap
MAPW encourages the Australian
Government to:
Review
the lease of the US-Australian Joint Facility
at Pine Gap especially in relation to functions relating
to US nuclear war-fighting capabilities
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Missile Defence
MAPW encourages the Australian
Government to:
End
all involvement in the US missile defence
system including both intelligence sharing (Pine Gap
and JORN Radar) and military involvement (Aegis
ships theatre missile defence)
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Raise your voice
Join MAPW in calling for a
comprehensive re-examination
of Australia’s defence
relationship with the United
States to reflect an approach
based on non-violent conflict
resolution and the promotion of
human security:
•Write to your local MP
•Write to the Defence Minister
•Visit: www.mapw.org.au for
more activities
MAPW ‘body bag’ protest against the invasion of Iraq,
December 2002
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Medical Association for
Prevention of War Australia
(MAPW)
National Office: P.O. Box 1379, Carlton VIC 3053, Australia
Ph: 03 8344 1637 Fax: 03 8344 1638
www.mapw.org.au
[email protected]
Australian affiliate of International Physicians for Prevention of
Nuclear War (IPPNW)
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