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March 28th, 2012 
FAKE NEWS for the Zionist agenda Updated
The Coalition says it “absolutely” supports the idea of using the Australian-owned Cocos Keeling Islands as an air base for US drones.
Opposition defence spokesman David Johnston told Lateline he would need to see details, but he is in favour of working together with the US to see a military base on the islands, more than 2,000 kilometres north-west of Perth.
“I think our closest ally, if they’re prepared to assist us in the management of what is a huge maritime frontier, I would welcome that and I know the Coalition would welcome that,” he said.
He says a Coalition government would be open to the possibility of America leasing the islands.
“I think broadly we would be very positive towards such a proposal. But look, let’s look at the details,” he said.
“I don’t think Australia should do anything in terms of its sovereignty in the nature of a blank cheque.
“I am very keen that we welcome the Americans in any shape or form that they want to come and work with us in our region. But, you know, let’s be a little bit circumspect, let’s see what the terms and conditions are and let’s do it together.”
Accelerating plans
The Federal Government has told Cocos Island residents that the island would not become an American base in their lifetime.
But Senator Johnston says the Coalition would be open to accelerating talks on the prospect with the US.
Earlier Defence Minister Stephen Smith told ABC1’s 7:30 that the Cocos Islands proposal is a long-term prospect.
“The only conversation we’ve had at the appropriate level about Cocos Islands is in the long-term we see it as a potential strategic asset,” he said.
Mr Smith says the Cocos Island runway would need a $75 million upgrade before the proposal could go ahead.
His remarks follow a report in the Washington Post which suggested the Cocos Islands could be considered a replacement for the American Diego Garcia air base.
Between 1966 and 1971, the British and Americans made the entire population of Diego Garcia, an atoll in the Indian Ocean, leave their homeland to make way for a massive US air base.
About 600 people call the Cocos Islands home and some are concerned about the prospect of having US drones based there.
Local businessman John Clunies Ross has been living there for three decades and says some are against turning the island into a US base.
“There’s a number of people who, on one end of the scale, are total pacifists, wouldn’t like to see anything like that happen at all,” he said.
“On the other end, the businesses are looking around and say, ‘well, we could do with some work actually on the island’.
“I think the reaction covers the whole range at the moment.”
defence-and-national-security,
world-politics,
government-and-politics,
federal-government,
liberals,
nationals,
cocos-keeling-islands,
australia
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