This
is the story from Iran's Press TV. I can't find anything in the
Australian press about this except this from yesterday - US
eyes Perth naval base.
Australia
refuses to host US nuclear carrier strike group
Australia
has rejected a proposal to host a US nuclear aircraft carrier strike
group on its west coast.
2
August, 2012
A
Pentagon-commissioned report on repositioning US forces in the region
had suggested relocating a carrier from the US East Coast to an
Australian naval base south of Perth as part of a shift in the US
military’s overseas deployment to the Asia-Pacific region. The
report had been drafted by the Center for Strategic and International
Studies, a Washington-based think tank.
Australian
Defense Minister Stephen Smith said on Thursday that Australia's
Indian Ocean base, HMAS Stirling would never become a US military
base, although, negotiations were underway to increase the US Navy’s
access to the outpost.
"We
have made it crystal clear from the first moment - we don't have
United States military bases in Australia. We don't see the need for
that," The Associated Press quoted Smith as saying on Australian
Broadcasting Corp. television.
"It's
a suggestion by an independent think tank. It's not one we're
proposing to take up," he said.
Hugh
White, the head of Australian National University's Strategic and
Defense Studies Center, said Chinese objections were the major reason
why Australia was unlikely to ever allow US bases on its territory.
PS. - Here
is the confirmation from the international press.
Australia
rejects proposal to base US carrier
2
August, 2012
Australia
on Thursday rejected a proposal by a Washington-based think tank to
base a nuclear aircraft carrier strike group on Australia's west
coast as part of a shift of U.S. military might to the Asia-Pacific
region.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: only a member of this blog may post a comment.