a change of direction. |
Australia doesn't want to be seen to be introducing a new capability into the region and that's unfortunately how the perception could come about. |
It didn't create the threat but it certainly increased it. |
Saying it is inevitable is an easy thing, but inevitable is not imminent. Inevitable could mean five years' time, in 10 years' time. We simply don't know. |
We have to be realistic about this ... we are all foreign countries as far as the US is concerned and there is no case of any sort of increased dependency on Australia, especially after 9/11, and the US does not want to depend on any one country for information. |