Prime Minister Tony Abbott said earlier today that Australia would deploy 600 troops to the United Arab Emirates to join the US-led international coalition gearing up for war against Islamic State jihadists.
Abbott´s announcement comes two days after Canberra lifted its terror alert level to “high” on growing concern about Australian jihadists returning from fighting in Iraq and Syria.
Abbott said the deployment of about “400 air personnel and about 200 military personnel” followed a formal request from Washington for Australia to contribute to the international coalition against the bloodthirsty terror outfit.
The US has been working to forge a coalition against IS jihadists in Iraq and Syria, with Secretary of State John Kerry in the Middle East to shore up Arab support. The troops will operate in Iraq but not in Syria whose govt Australia does not recognise.
