With potential conflict brewing in the region, Ben Packham, The Australian’s renowned Foreign Affairs and Defence correspondent, unravels the $7.8 billion lethal weapon load-out that will keep Australia safe.
Gilad Erdan, the Permanent Representative of Israel to the United Nations, made a strong statement during an emergency special session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA). In his speech, he emphasized that the ongoing conflict in the region should not be framed as a war between Israel and the Palestinian people but rather as a conflict with the Hamas terrorist organization.
Erdan’s statement underscores the Israeli perspective that the primary adversary in this situation is Hamas, a Palestinian militant group that is designated as a terrorist organization by Israel, the United States, the European Union, and several other countries. According to this viewpoint, Israel is acting to defend itself against the actions of Hamas, which includes rocket attacks, terrorism, and other activities that threaten the security and well-being of Israeli citizens.
Erdan also expressed concerns that Hamas might be banking on international intervention through the United Nations to prevent Israel from defending itself. This concern reflects Israel’s stance that it has a right to self-defense in the face of threats from terrorist organizations, and it highlights their perspective that international responses should consider the broader context of the conflict and the actions of groups like Hamas.
The US Defence Department is expediting the delivery of UH-60M Black Hawk helicopters to Australia, as a result of recent meetings between representatives from both nations earlier this month. Australian Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Richard Marles held discussions with US Secretary of Defence Lloyd J Austin III at the Pentagon on October 31, focusing on the United States-Australia alliance, the transfer of Black Hawks, and various foreign policy matters.
The Black Hawk helicopters are being introduced to replace Australia’s MRH-90 Taipan helicopters. This decision came after an MRH-90 helicopter crashed in Queensland during Exercise Talisman Sabre on July 28, leading to the grounding of the entire MRH-90 fleet.
US Secretary Austin expressed optimism about the future of the relationship, particularly in the realm of defence cooperation. He emphasized their shared vision for a free, open, and secure Indo-Pacific region and their determination to make that vision a reality.
Both leaders reaffirmed their commitment to further enhancing defence cooperation, including collaboration on defence technology, force posture initiatives, and the trilateral AUKUS partnership with the United Kingdom. They also celebrated recent announcements regarding the historic cooperation between Australia and Japan, exchanged views on shared security challenges, and discussed additional alliance initiatives to support a free and open Indo-Pacific. The two leaders also discussed the global security environment and shared their perspectives on the situations in Ukraine and the Middle East.
Earlier this year, three new UH-60M Black Hawk helicopters, manufactured in the US, were delivered to Australia for use by the Australian Army. Two of these helicopters, built by Lockheed Martin, were transported to RAAF Base Richmond in Sydney on July 30 via a US Air Force C-17 Globemaster transport plane. These two helicopters are part of the initial batch of a total of 40 Black Hawk helicopters ordered by the Australian Defence Force. A third UH-60M Black Hawk arrived on August 4, also transported via a US Air Force C-17, as confirmed by a Defence spokesperson.
HI all,
Well, I have had my pacemaker fitted all is good, arrived home from hospital at 1:30 no pain thank goodness. I’m quite a bit tired very little sleep, so I’ll have an afternoon nap so I’m ready to watch some riveting TV tonight …haha. I have left arm in a sling and I’m not to reach above my shoulder for three weeks. Anyhow, I will be back at my desk tomorrow.
Cheers
Ray
DVA is keen to hear from veterans who have separated or transferred from the ADF permanent forces since 1 January 2020. We are conducting an online survey of transition services and supports provided by DVA and Defence.
The feedback captured through the survey will provide useful insights to identify areas of strength and areas for improvement and help ensure that the suite of transition services and support provided by DVA and Defence meet the needs of veterans and their families.
So, why do we just want feedback from veterans who separated or transferred from 1 January 2020 onwards? There has recently been a range of new and improved supports and services introduced and we need an in-depth understanding of contemporary transitioning ADF members’ awareness and uptake of the broad range of support services available to them across both Departments.
You may receive an email from Defence inviting your participation in the survey. You can also participate in the online survey, by following this link: https://orima.com/dva/transition.
The survey is voluntary and will close on Sunday 19 November 2023.
We encourage you to share the survey link with your family and friends so they can provide valuable feedback on their experiences as part of the transition process.
Your responses will be confidential. Neither DVA nor Defence will know who has or has not participated. The survey will be conducted with the highest levels of privacy and security; however, we understand not everyone will want to provide feedback.
If you require any support please call 1800 VETERAN (1800 838 372), or to provide any other feedback visit our website here. For more information about the support services DVA offer, visit our website.
The RAR Colours Parade is being conducted at RMC Parade Ground on Thursday 23 Nov 2023 Guest & Attendees are requested to arrive NLT 1030. The RAR Colours Parade is being conducted at RMC Parade Ground on Thursday 23 Nov 2023.request to arrive NLT 1030. The Parade commences at 1100_1200. Dress Coat & tie medals
There is limited parking and taxis are allowed on site suggested drop point Finaly Road and or Harrison Road near Duntroon House or Harrison Road back of the Changi Chapel
https://www.google.com.au/maps/search/rmc+canberra/@-35.2996629,149.1615391,17z?entry=ttu
The 75th Anniversary Dinner is in the Great Hall of Federal Parliament 1800 for 1830. Allow time for security screening.
Dress Coast & Tie no medals.
Tickets for the dinner cease to be sold at 1600 sharp Thursday 09 Nov 23
This is a great opportunity to see all the colours on parade in the one place at the same time, these sort of event are few and far between
Many Thanks
Keep Well & Travel Safe
“Keeping the Spirit Alive”
Regards
Greg
G J DECKER
Secretary RARA National
From Murray Harley ref an OLD Boys Rugby
Christmas Lunch Normandy Hotel Brisbane from 1200 on Fri 15 Dec 23 PAYG Meals and Drinks,
For all ARSU, combined or interservice players, this includes the Navy & RAAF.
If you want to catch up with old and new buggers, RSVP Fri 08 Dec 23 to Murray on 0415152748
Pleases pass details on to your mob living in and around Brisbane or visiting on that date.
A Jewish Boycott
A short time ago, Iran’s Supreme Leader Grand Ayatollah Ali Khamenei urged the Muslim World to boycott anything and everything that originates with the Jewish people.
In response, Meyer M. Treinkman, a pharmacist, out of the kindness of his heart, offered to assist them in their boycott as follows:
“Any Muslim who has Syphilis must not be cured by Salvarsan discovered by a Jew, Dr. Ehrlich. He should not even try to find out whether he has Syphilis, because the Wasserman Test is the discovery of a Jew. If a Muslim suspects that he has Gonorrhea, he must not seek diagnosis, because he will be using the method of a Jew named Neissner.
“A Muslim who has heart disease must not use Digitalis, a discovery by a Jew, Ludwig Traube.
Should he suffer with a toothache, he must not use Novocaine, a discovery of the Jews, Widal and Weil.
If a Muslim has Diabetes, he must not use Insulin, the result of research by Minkowsky, a Jew. If one has a headache, he must shun Pyramidon and Antypyrin, due to the Jews, Spiro and Ellege.
Muslims with convulsions must put up with them because it was a Jew, Oscar Leibreich, who proposed the use of Chloral Hydrate.
Arabs must do likewise with their psychic ailments because Freud, father of psychoanalysis, was a Jew.
Should a Muslim child get Diphtheria, he must refrain from the “Schick” reaction, which was invented by the Jew, Bella Schick.
“Muslims should be ready to die in great numbers and must not permit treatment of ear and brain damage, work of Jewish Nobel Prize winner, Robert Baram.
They should continue to die or remain crippled by Infantile Paralysis because the discoverer of the anti-polio vaccine is a Jew, Jonas Salk.
“Muslims must refuse to use Streptomycin and continue to die of Tuberculosis because a Jew, Zalman Waxman, invented the wonder drug against this killing disease.
Muslim doctors must discard all discoveries and improvements by dermatologist Judas Sehn Benedict, or the lung specialist, Frawnkel, and of many other world-renowned Jewish scientists and medical experts.
“In short, good and loyal Muslims properly and fittingly should remain afflicted with Syphilis, Gonorrhea, Heart Disease, Headaches, Typhus, Diabetes, Mental Disorders, Polio Convulsions and Tuberculosis and be proud to obey the Islamic boycott.”
Oh, and by the way, don’t call for a doctor on your cell phone because the cell phone was invented in Israel by a Jewish engineer.
Meanwhile I ask, what medical contributions to the world have the Muslims made?”
The Global Islamic population is approximately 1,200,000,000; that is ONE BILLION TWO HUNDRED MILLION or 20% of the world’s population.
They have received the following Nobel Prizes:
Literature:1988 – Najib Mahfooz
Peace:1978 – Mohamed Anwar El-Sadat
1990 – Elias James Corey
1994 – Yaser Arafat:
1999 – Ahmed Zewai
Economicszero)
Physics
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zero)
Medicine:1960 – Peter Brian Medawar
1998 – Ferid Mourad
TOTAL: 7 SEVEN
The Global Jewish population is approximately 14,000,000; that is FOURTEEN MILLION or about 0.02% of the world’s population.
They have received the following Nobel Prizes:
Literature:1910 – Paul Heyse
1927 – Henri Bergson
1958 – Boris Pasternak
1966 – Shmuel Yosef Agnon
1966 – Nelly Sachs
1976 – Saul Bellow
1978 – Isaac Bashevis Singer
1981 – Elias Canetti
1987 – Joseph Brodsky
1991 – Nadine Gordimer World
Peace:1911 – Alfred Fried
1911 – Tobias Michael Carel Asser
1968 – Rene Cassin
1973 – Henry Kissinger
1978 – Menachem Begin
1986 – Elie Wiesel
1994 – Shimon Peres
1994 – Yitzhak Rabin
Physics:1905 – Adolph Von Baeyer
1906 – Henri Moissan
1907 – Albert Abraham Michelson
1908 – **riel Lippmann
1910 – Otto Wallach
1915 – Richard Willstaetter
1918 – Fritz Haber
1921 – Albert Einstein
1922 – Niels Bohr
1925 – James Franck
1925 – Gustav Hertz
1943 – Gustav Stern
1943 – George Charles de Hevesy
1944 – Isidor Issac Rabi
1952 – Felix Bloch
1954 – Max Born
1958 – Igor Tamm
1959 – Emilio Segre
1960 – Donald A. Glaser
1961 – Robert Hofstadter
1961 – Melvin Calvin
1962 – Lev Davidovich Landau
1962 – Max Ferdinand Perutz
1965 – Richard Phillips Feynman
1965 – Julian Schwinger
1969 – Murray Gell-Mann
1971 – Dennis **or
1972 – William Howard Stein
1973 – Brian David Josephson
1975 – Benjamin Mottleson
1976 – Burton Richter
1977 – Ilya Prigogine
1978 – Arno Allan Penzias
1978 – Peter L Kapitza
1979 – Stephen Weinberg
1979 – Sheldon Glashow
1979 – Herbert Charles Brown
1980 – Paul Berg
1980 – Walter Gilbert
1981 – Roald Hoffmann
1982 – Aaron Klug
1985 – Albert A. Hauptman
1985 – Jerome Karle
1986 – Dudley R. Herschbach
1988 – Robert Huber
1988 – Leon Lederman
1988 – Melvin Schwartz
1988 – Jack Steinberger
1989 – Sidney Altman
1990 – Jerome Friedman
1992 – Rudolph Marcus
1995 – Martin Perl
2000 – Alan J. Heeger
Economics:1970 – Paul Anthony Samuelson
1971 – Simon Kuznets
1972 – Kenneth Joseph Arrow
1975 – Leonid Kantorovich
1976 – Milton Friedman
1978 – Herbert A. Simon
1980 – Lawrence Robert Klein
1985 – Franco Modigliani
1987 – Robert M. Solow
1990 – Harry Markowitz
1990 – Merton Miller
1992 – Gary Becker
1993 – Robert Fogel
Medicine:1908 – Elie Metchnikoff
1908 – Paul Erlich
1914 – Robert Barany
1922 – Otto Meyerhof
1930 – Karl Landsteiner
1931 – Otto Warburg
1936 – Otto Loewi
1944 – Joseph Erlanger
1944 – Herbert Spencer Gasser
1945 – Ernst Boris Chain
1946 – Hermann Joseph Muller
1950 – Tadeus Reichstein
1952 – Selman Abraham Waksman
1953 – Hans Krebs
1953 – Fritz Albert Lipmann
1958 – Joshua Lederberg
1959 – Arthur Kornberg
1964 – Konrad Bloch
1965 – Francois Jacob
1965 – Andre Lwoff
1967 – George Wald
1968 – Marshall W. Nirenberg
1969 – Salvador Luria
1970 – Julius Axelrod
1970 – Sir Bernard Katz
1972 – Gerald Maurice Edelman
1975 – Howard Martin Temin
1976 – Baruch S. Blumberg
1977 – Roselyn Sussman Yalow
1978 – Daniel Nathans
1980 – Baruj Benacerraf
1984 – Cesar Milstein
1985 – Michael Stuart Brown
1985 – Joseph L. Goldstein
1986 – Stanley Cohen [& Rita Levi-Montalcini]
1988 – Gertrude Elion
1989 – Harold Varmus
1991 – Erwin Neher
1991 – Bert Sakmann
1993 – Richard J. Roberts
1993 – Phillip Sharp
1994 – Alfred Gilman
1995 – Edward B. Lewis
1996- Lu RoseIacovino
TOTAL: 129!
The Jews are NOT promoting brainwashing children in military training camps, teaching them how to blow themselves up and cause maximum deaths of Jews and other non-Muslims.
The Jews don’t hijack planes, nor kill athletes at the Olympics, or blow themselves up in German restaurants.
There is NOT one single Jew who has destroyed a church.
There is NOT a single Jew who protests by killing people. The Jews don’t traffic slaves, nor have leaders calling for Jihad and death to all the Infidels.
Perhaps the world’s Muslims should consider investing more in standard education and less in blaming the Jews for all their problems.
Muslims must ask ‘what can they do for humankind’ before they demand that humankind respects them.
Regardless of your feelings about the crisis between Israel and the Palestinians and Arab neighbours, even if you believe there is more culpability on Israel ‘s part, the following two sentences really say it all:
‘If the Arabs put down their weapons today, there would be no more violence. If the Jews put down their weapons today, there would be no more Israel.”
Benjamin Netanyahu: General Eisenhower warned us. It is a matter of history that when the Supreme Commander of the Allied Forces, General Dwight Eisenhower, found the victims of the death camps he ordered all possible photographs to be taken, and for the German people from surrounding villages to be ushered through the camps and even made to bury the dead.
He did this because he said in words to this effect: ‘Get it all on record now – get the films – get the witnesses – because somewhere down the road of history some bastard will get up and say that this never happened’.
Recently, the UK debated whether to remove The Holocaust from its school curriculum because it ‘offends’ the Muslim population which claims it never occurred.
It is not removed as yet. However, this is a frightening portent of the fear that is gripping the world and how easily each country is giving into it.
It is now more than 78 years after the Second World War in Europe ended.
Now, more than ever, with Iran, among others, claiming the Holocaust to be ‘a myth,’ it is imperative to make sure the world never forgets.
How many years will it be before the attack on the World Trade Centre ‘NEVER HAPPENED’ because it offends some Muslim in the United States?
Story by defence correspondent Andrew Greene • ABC News
Picture: Lieutenant General Peter Leahy, then chief of army, takes a tour near the landing site of Banda Aceh in 2005. (Department of Defence: Leading Seaman Bill Louys)
A former army chief has blasted the Albanese government’s approach to defence, warning Australia’s military is now less capable and ready for potential threats than when Labor first came to office.
Retired lieutenant general Peter Leahy says the response to the Defence Strategic Review has crippled the army, while a naval surface fleet review is delaying other crucial decisions.
“I’m really concerned that for this much more complex geostrategic position, we’re actually seeing the Australian Defence Force become less capable and less able to meet the options that might be required in the future,” he told the ABC.
General Leahy, who served as army chief until 2008, said the local defence industry was collapsing as cuts are made to defence budgets in the short term, in favour of long-term funding for nuclear submarines under AUKUS.
“The mandated cuts — and these are cuts to the allocated budget — are ripping the heart out of defence,” he said.
“I don’t think there’s much of a future for defence industry here in Australia, so we’ve got to pick up our game. I don’t think we can be taken seriously in the halls of Washington.”
When releasing its response to the Defence Strategic Review in April, the Albanese government announced a sweeping overhaul of the army by slashing the number of armoured vehicles and instead focusing on littoral manoeuvre and long-range strike capability.
General Leahy, who is now a University of Canberra professor, says he’s worried for the army’s future because it will be less capable and ready to provide governments with a range of military options.
“The army will be smaller, it will be less capable, it will be less protected, and by that I mean we need tanks and we need armoured vehicles because the days of tin and canvas on the battlefield are gone,” he said.
“And we know from history and recent experience — tanks save lives.”
In an opinion piece released on Tuesday, he also argues that as “an island nation astride two huge oceans and contested seas to our north, we absolutely need very capable naval and air capabilities”.
“Their focus should be operating as a small part of a combined force, supporting friends and allies away from our shores,” he writes.
“By doing this they provide depth to our defence in and around the natural defensive barrier provided by the archipelago and island chain to our north and east.”
Shipbuilding doubts overshadow maritime conference
Uncertainty over billions of dollars’ worth of Australian shipbuilding projects is threatening to overshadow an international navy conference which opens in Sydney on Tuesday.
This year, naval representatives from more than 40 nations are taking part in the Indo-Pacific Sea Power Conference, along with more than 800 defence companies.
Australia’s chief of navy has confirmed Chinese and Russian military delegations have again been excluded from the event, as they were last year.
“We don’t have a defence relationship with either China or Russia,” Vice Admiral Mark Hammond told the ABC.
Earlier this year, the Albanese government received the findings of a review of the Royal Australian Navy’s surface fleet, which examined the viability of current projects such as the $45 billion program to build Hunter class frigates.
A formal government response to the study, which was led by retired US vice admiral William H Hilarides, will not be released until early 2024, but Vice Admiral Hammond insists plenty of Australian naval work is underway despite the drawn-out process.
“I have my hands full with current operations and optimising the fleet — we have a lot of activity underway already in that regard — and like you I wait with interest to see what the government determines in respect of the surface combatant review,” he said.
General Leahy said he questioned why a retired American admiral needed to review Australia’s navy, but warned all future construction of warships and submarines here will be “hellishly expensive”.
Government Appointments Stir Controversy Amidst Shifting Political Landscape
In recent news, significant appointments in the Australian political landscape have sparked intense debate over the direction of the country’s economic policies. The controversial appointment of Danielle Wood as the head of the Productivity Commission by Airbus Albo, the leader of the political far left, has ignited discussions about the future of taxation and social welfare.
Critics argue that Wood’s background as a proponent of progressive taxation and her alignment with left-leaning ideologies suggest a potential overhaul of existing policies. While some celebrate the move as a progressive step towards addressing income inequality and social welfare, others are concerned about the impact it may have on personal finances and retirement funds.
Wood’s agenda, outlined in an attached article, indicates a willingness to make substantial changes in the tax system. It is worth noting that these proposed changes may not affect individuals with significant wealth, such as multi-millionaire CEOs and high-income public servants who have utilized family trusts to minimize their tax obligations.
Key areas of concern in Wood’s proposed tax reforms include:
- Inheritances: Wood aims to reform the inheritance tax system.
- Aged Pension Asset Test: There is a suggestion to include the family home in asset calculations for aged pension eligibility.
- Capital Gains Tax: Changes in capital gains tax regulations are under consideration.
- Taxes on Superannuation Benefits: Superannuation benefits may face increased taxation.
It is important to note that Wood’s intention to wind back concessions introduced by former Prime Minister John Howard over two decades ago has stirred mixed reactions among the public.
As discussions surrounding these potential changes intensify, it is crucial for individuals to remain informed and engage in the ongoing dialogue about the nation’s future. Sharing this information with friends and acquaintances is encouraged, as it could impact the lives of many Australians.
In this evolving political landscape, staying informed through various media outlets is vital, as different sources may offer diverse perspectives on these developments.
