Mr Abbott Firmly Grounded

[icyfroth]

Indonesians need to keep cool

• by: Editorial
• From: Herald Sun
• November 20, 2013 12:00AM

PRIME Minister Tony Abbott has moved quickly to reassure Indonesia that information gathering by Australia poses no threat to a country he regards as one of Australia’s closest friends.

His response to mounting Indonesian anger at the monitoring of the phone conversations of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono after the 2009 bombings of the Marriott and Ritz-Carlton hotels in Jakarta came at a time when our security agencies were desperately trying to track down the terrorists responsible. Seven people were killed in the blasts, including three Australians.

The Indonesian Government is playing to a domestic audience before elections next year. But an overreaction to the intelligence gathering indulged in by most countries, including Indonesia, risks damaging the unique relationship the two countries enjoy.

It should also be remembered that Australia’s actions took place under Labor when Kevin Rudd was prime minister and it is Mr Abbott who has been left to deal with it.

Mr Abbott has preferred to co-operate with Sri Lanka rather than isolate it following its long civil war and is supported by former Labor foreign minister Bob Carr, who was concerned in office at the number of what he called economic refugees fleeing Sri Lanka to Australia.

The point can also be made that asylum seekers genuinely fearing reprisals in Sri Lanka might consider a short voyage to India rather than a risky passage across thousands of kilometres to Australia.

Mr Abbott has got his feet firmly grounded, if the Labor leadership and the opportunistic Greens and some quarters of the media do not.

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[9brumbies]

hear,hear, hear totally agree. The labor government did this if found to be true under Kevin Rudd not Mr. Abbott or the liberals.

[***super_nova***]

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@9brumbies wrote:

hear,hear, hear totally agree. The labor government did this if found to be true under Kevin Rudd not Mr. Abbott or the liberals.

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Interestingly TA has not blamed it on the previous government.  Wonder why?  Up till now he has used every opportunity to say something critical of the Labor government.

[izabsmiling]

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@9brumbies wrote:

hear,hear, hear totally agree. The labor government did this if found to be true under Kevin Rudd not Mr. Abbott or the liberals.

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He is our Prime Minister now.This has come out now.It has gone on for a long time.It was pretty open  between Indonesia and Australia during the Howard era 

In honouring Australian Sovereignty our PM must acknowledge that as our Country's Currently elected PM he speaks for,represents and has responsibility for those he owes Sovereignty to (us the people of Australia).He has a job description

It's school kid stuff to expect a current PM to pass the responsibility of our current PM over to formerly elected Government/s.

[polksaladallie]

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@9brumbies wrote:

hear,hear, hear totally agree. The labor government did this if found to be true under Kevin Rudd not Mr. Abbott or the liberals.

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Was it unilateral?

INDONESIA says it doesn't spy on Australia; but it did once, according to a former Indonesian intelligence chief.

In a 2004 interview, retiring Indonesian intelligence chief General Abdullah Mahmud Hendropriyono said his agency tapped Australian civil and military communications and politicians' phone calls. -

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/policy/indonesia-spied-on-australia-in-2004-says-ex...

[lakeland27]

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@***super_nova*** wrote:

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@9brumbies wrote:

hear,hear, hear totally agree. The labor government did this if found to be true under Kevin Rudd not Mr. Abbott or the liberals.

---

Interestingly TA has not blamed it on the previous government.  Wonder why?  Up till now he has used every opportunity to say something critical of the Labor government.

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because he knew. because they did it before rudd as alexander downer confirmed, and wilkie did (wilikie worked for the ONA before entering politics) if nobody was gathering intelligence in indonesia in the weeks following the marriot and ritz carlton bombings (3 australians died)  some more serious questions would need answering.

[azureline**]

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@***super_nova*** wrote:

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@9brumbies wrote:

hear,hear, hear totally agree. The labor government did this if found to be true under Kevin Rudd not Mr. Abbott or the liberals.

---

Interestingly TA has not blamed it on the previous government.  Wonder why?  Up till now he has used every opportunity to say something critical of the Labor government.

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That will be an interesting reveal won't it? It has been uppermost in my mind since he first spoke about it. Why? time will tell but...... he needs to make an apology, the Indonesians expect it.

[freddie*rooster]

It should also be remembered that Australia’s actions took place under Labor when Kevin Rudd was prime minister and it is Mr Abbott who has been left to deal with it.

What would the reaction be if Kevin Rudd undermined Abbott's attempts to deal with this situation by  contacting the Indonesian President in an attempt to defuse this situation?

Tony Abbott would have agreed to this spying, there would be no way Kevin Rudd could have gone ahead with this without the opposition being briefed of the situation and approval granted.

This is a security issue, that many countries have done for years, as Indonesia has done themselves. After the Bali bombings, I say keep up the spying and don't rely on these corrupt mob to keep us updated on the possibility of a terrorist attack.

I agree with what Abbott has done this far, and trust he will adopt Shortens advice to handle it in the same way Obama did.

[izabsmiling]

Spying row: Indonesia recalls ambassador from Australia

AP Nov 18, 2013 

Earlier this month, the Indonesian government called in the Australian ambassador for an explanation following reports that the Australian Embassy in Jakarta was a hub for Washington's secret electronic data collection program.

A document from Snowden published last month by the German magazine Der Spiegeldescribes a signals intelligence program called "Stateroom" in which US, British, Australian and Canadian embassies house surveillance equipment to collect electronic communications. Those countries, along with New Zealand, have an intelligence-sharing agreement known as "Five Eyes."

The Australian embassy in Jakarta was listed as one of the embassies involved in a report from Australia's Fairfax media, along with Australian embassies in Bangkok, Hanoi, Beijing and Dili in East Timor; and high commissions in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, and Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea.

 http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2013-11-18/rest-of-world/44201297_1_marty-natalegawa-pri...

Freddy, It might be harder to keep doing now

What is driving Snowden?

[spotweldersfriend]

Herald-Sun. Lol giggle