David Johnston (WA, Liberal Party, Minister for Defence) Share this | Hansard source

On behalf of the Prime Minister, I table a ministerial statement on Iraq and I move:

That the Senate take note of the document.

Speaking to that, if I may, can I first of all inform the chamber that Australian aircraft have participated in humanitarian airdrops to people trapped on Mount Sinjar and just yesterday to the besieged inhabitants of the small town of Amerli in the north-east of Iraq. Yesterday's airdrop was mounted in conjunction with American, British and French aircraft. In coming days, Australian aircraft will join an airlift of supplies, including military equipment, to the Kurdish Peshmerga regional government in Erbil. American, British, French, Canadian and Italian aircraft will also be involved. The involvement has been at the request of the Obama administration and with the approval of the Iraqi government. So far, we have met requests for humanitarian relief and for logistical support. So far, there has been no request for military action.

In line with important speeches made on behalf of the opposition this morning, on a motion to suspend standing orders, the government will continue to keep the opposition leader and opposition spokesperson informed on these matters through the briefing process. I think that is incumbent on the government for it to retain integrity and credibility on this matter. I think that this prime ministerial statement goes a long way towards satisfying what has become best practice in such matters, as adopted previously by ministers for defence—indeed, may I say, by former Minister for Defence Faulkner.

Having said that, I will deal very briefly with precisely what has been undertaken so far. On 31 August, a Royal Australian Air Force Hercules C130J aircraft located in the UAE completed an airdrop to isolated civilians in the Amerli region. The aircraft delivered 15 bundles of Australian humanitarian supplies, including high-energy biscuits, bottled water and hygiene packs designated to feed and hydrate some 2,600 people. They are capable of sustaining them for some 24 hours. This is the second humanitarian aid drop that Australia has conducted.

On 14 August, a Royal Australian Air Force Hercules C130J transport aircraft located at Al-Minhad Air Base in the United Arab Emirates delivered supplies to the Yazidi civilians trapped on Mount Sinjar by ISIL forces. The cargo delivered to Mount Sinjar included 150 boxes of high-energy biscuits and 340 boxes of bottled water, which is enough to sustain 3,700 people for 24 hours. We continue to talk to our partners about how we might further contribute to international efforts to protect people against the advance of ISIL terrorists.

There is a huge humanitarian disaster potentially unfolding in the Levant, across Syria and in Iraq. The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navi Pillay, has said that Islamic State and allied fighters were committing 'grave, horrific human rights violations on a daily basis.' Dr Pillay said that these include targeted killings, forced conversions, abductions, trafficking, slavery and sexual abuse. Among those directly targeted have been Christians, Yazidis, Shabaks, Turkmens and Shias. Human rights groups say that abductions, arbitrary detentions and torture are all strategies used by ISIL militants. The victims include people suspected of simple crimes like theft and drinking alcohol.

The UN reports that ISIS has reportedly killed hundreds of Yazidi men and kidnapped Yazidi women and girls. Hundreds of, mostly Yazidi, individuals were reportedly killed, with up to 2,500 kidnapped at the beginning of August this year. Of those who refused to convert, witnesses report that the men were executed, while the women and their children were taken as slaves and either handed over to ISIL fighters as slaves or threatened with being sold. There are also reports of Yazidi women being used as human shields.

Christians in Mosul were reportedly directed to convert to Islam, leave or face execution. Yazidis have also reportedly been order to convert to Islam or face death. ISIL has reportedly executed 700 members of the al-Sheitaat tribe in north-eastern Syria. Members of the Shia Turkmen community in Amerli have been besieged by ISIL and associated armed groups since 15 June. Residents are enduring harsh living conditions with severe food and water shortages and a complete absence of medical services.

I turn to what we all have seen more recently: ISIL's video of 19 August showing the beheading of US journalist James Foley and the threat to kill another captured US national, Mr Steven Sotloff. A photo reportedly originating from the Twitter feed of Australian Khaled Sharrouf, a member of ISIL, shows a young boy—reported to be his son—holding the severed head of a man reported to be a Syrian government soldier. The human rights office of the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq has verified reports of a massacre of up to 670 prisoners from Mosul's Badush prison on 10 June. May I say that there are many, many more examples that I have to report to the chamber of the sorts of atrocities that we have come to understand are being used in a tactical, deliberate and considered way by ISIL terrorists.

We have responded to requests from the United States, as have other friends and allies, to assist in the provision of heavy-lift aircraft to provide the humanitarian relief that we have. I pause to say that this is an extremely serious and difficult situation for the country of Iraq. They have been taken by surprise to some extent. As I said this morning during the motion to suspend standing orders, the only force that appears to have had any real success in resisting this onslaught has been the Peshmerga Kurds. So it is that we have said that we will support them in the provision of vital ammunition should that be required.

I commend the Prime Minister's statement to the Senate. I think it is very important to be viewed as setting out Australia's current situation with respect to the unfolding situation in Iraq. It establishes the benchmarks and the basis for the action that we have taken so far. I underline the fact that there has been no further request made to Australia for military support of military action. Having said that, I again commend the statement of the Prime Minister to this chamber and say that this is a most grave and serious situation that requires right-thinking nations to respond appropriately. Given what I have said to the chamber this afternoon, I believe that Australia has done just that.