Text Fwd: Australia-U.S. Summit Sets Stage for Closer Defense Cooperation 미-호주 정상들, 더 긴밀한 방어 협력 위해 착수

* Text sent from Corazon Valdez Fabros on Nov. 7, 2010

United States Defense Dept.
Australia-U.S. Summit Sets Stage for Closer Defense Cooperation
By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service

ABOARD A MILITARY AIRCRAFT, Nov. 6, 2010 – Enhanced military-to-military activities, closer cooperation in space and cybersecurity, and possibly a larger U.S. military presence in Australia are expected to be on the agenda as Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Navy Adm. Mike Mullen head to Melbourne, Australia.

The annual Australian-U.S. Ministerial is scheduled for Nov. 8. Hosted by Australian Defense Minister Stephen Smith and Foreign Minister Kevin Rudd, it is considered a keystone event that sets a framework for alliance activities in the coming year, a senior defense official told reporters traveling with Gates.

The leaders will discuss global and regional challenges and how to posture the alliance to better meet them, the official said.

Among the topics are possible plans to position more U.S. forces on Australian military bases where they would work cooperatively with their Australian military counterparts. U.S. and Australian service members already are embedded in each others’ militaries, but such an initiative could take that arrangement to a new level.

The senior official dismissed any idea of U.S. bases or U.S.-only activities in Australia, as some media have reported. “Everything we can ever imagine doing with Australia is very much integrated and combined,” he said.

Emphasizing that no decisions have been made, the official said a working group to be formally established at the summit is expected to begin work next month to study the issues involved. “We are going to look at the full range of things in terms of footprint, posture and presence,” he said

Such a decision would be made within the context of the ongoing Defense Department evaluation of its force posture and global presence. “We have got to make sure this fits within the broader framework of the region and also the globe,” the official said.

Although the department is still “in the early stages of that work,” he said, “we are now at the point where we want to start working with some of our key allies and friends in the region to talk more broadly” about the associated issues.

Summit participants also are expected to agree to a plan that would allow U.S. forces to pre-position equipment in Australia so it is available for quick humanitarian assistance and disaster response or other contingencies in the region.

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See also the below (* Text sent from Corazon Valdez Fabros on Nov. 7, 2010):
United Stats Defense Dept.
Gates to Reinforce U.S. Relations With Australia, Malaysia
By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service

* Image source: same as the link

'Pentagon Press Secretary Geoff Morrell responds to a question
during a press briefing at the Pentagon, Nov. 4, 2010. DOD photo by R. D. Ward'

WASHINGTON, Nov. 4, 2010 – Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates will leave tomorrow night for a whirlwind trip to Australia and Malaysia, where he will reinforce the U.S. commitment to the region with a longstanding U.S. ally and an increasingly close partner, Pentagon Press Secretary Geoff Morrell told reporters today.

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See also the below (* Text sent from Corazon Valdez Fabros on Nov. 7, 2010)

The Sydney Morning Herald
US to Step Up Military Presence Across Asia, into Indian Ocean
US Sets Eyes on Southern Defense Outposts
Published on Friday, November 5, 2010
by Hamish McDonald

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See also the below (* Text sent from Rick Rozoff on Nov. 7, 2010)

Xinhua News Agency
Australia, U.S. to discuss Asia-Pacific defense strategy: Gillard
November 7, 2010