Alliance Unleashed: Australia and the US in a new strategic age
The Australian Strategic Policy Institute has today released its latest report, which examines what the strategic future holds for Australia’s relationship with the United States.
The Strategy is authored by Dr Rod Lyon, Senior Lecturer, School of Political Science & International Studies at the University of Queensland, and titled ‘Alliance Unleashed: Australia and the US in a new strategic age’.
The report concentrates on the reinvigorated Australia-US security partnership through the ANZUS alliance, which has been given new purpose and energy following the events of September 11 2001 and the subsequent War on Terror.
Lyon argues that Australia must begin thinking now about what our future security partnership should look like, how much of the new partnership we wish to place under the formal auspices of the ANZUS alliance, and how the emerging pattern of closer cooperation can best serve Australia’s interests.
Professor Curson advises that: “If left unchecked, epidemics of infectious disease can substantially undermine public confidence, jeopardise law and order, severely threaten a state’s social, economic and political viability and become a major agent of social and political change.”
‘Lyon argues that we need to shape ANZUS to reflect the reality that security partnerships are becoming more like full-time enterprises and less like insurance policies for a rainy day.’ ASPI Director, Peter Abigail says.
The reinvention of the bilateral security partnership has already begun. Australia is now engaged in much closer security cooperation with the US than are many other Western allies with the security connection between Canberra and Washington being broadened and strengthened.
‘For over a century, the notion of partnership has been a key feature of Australia’s approach to security we have never gone to war alone…security partnerships have been, and remain today, the foundation stone of Australian security policy.’ Dr Lyon states.
Dr Lyon says we can expect to see the Bush Administration showing greater interest in the value of alliances, pressing for a new agenda of change. For alliances to be effective security partnerships in the new security environment, they will have to take on a set of characteristics different from those of the past fifty years.