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The Guardian

Australian prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has made it plain that Australia will be involved in any conflict in the event North Korea attacks the US.
The prime minister told 3AW on Friday morning “if there is an attack on the US, the Anzus treaty would be invoked” and Australia would come to the aid of the US. He said the form of Australia’s engagement would be determined in consultation with allies.
“In terms of defence, we are joined at the hip,” Turnbull said.
The prime minister’s remarks followed a conversation on Thursday night with the US Vice-President Mike Pence.
In terms of defence, we are joined at the hip
Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull
The Anzus treaty is a defence agreement signed in 1951 to protect the security of the Pacific. The treaty says the signatories will “consult together” and “act to meet the common danger”.
There is debate among defence experts about whether the treaty’s wording necessitates military action by the parties.
Turnbull’s bullish comments on Friday morning contrast with a more hedged tone from Australian foreign minister Julie Bishop earlier in the week. Bishop told the ABC on Thursday there was no automatic trigger for Australia to be involved.
She said Australia was not a party to the ceasefire that ended the Korean war in 1953, and, “as far as the Anzus alliance is concerned, that is an obligation to consult”.
But Turnbull said on Friday that in the event North Korea attacked Guam, Australia and the US would “stand together” and that commitment by Australia was “absolutely rock solid”.
He said just as John Howard had invoked the Anzus treaty in the aftermath of the 9/11 terror attacks in New York, his government would do the same if North Korea launched a military assault on American territory.

US President Donald Trump issued several provocative warnings this week to North Korea.
He vowed to respond to North Korea with “fire and fury” if it threatened to attack America. Overnight, Trump has said his threat to unleash “fire and fury” on the country was not “tough enough”.
The North Korean regime telegraphed a detailed plan this week to launch missiles aimed at the waters off the coast of the US Pacific territory of Guam.
Asked if the US was considering a pre-emptive strike, Trump replied: “We don’t talk about that. I never do.”
Earlier in the week, Turnbull warned of “catastrophic consequences” in the event the bellicose standoff between the US and and North Korea escalated into outright conflict.
On Wednesday, he said the only way to deal with North Korea was with “maximum economic pressure” and he welcomed “new and harsh” sanctions imposed by the UN Security Council on the regime.


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North Korea

‘Joined at the hip’: Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull vows to join war if North Korea attacks US

epa06131253 Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull speaks to media during a press conference at Parliament House in Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia, 08 August 2017. Turnbull has outlined a plan for holding a postal vote on same-sex marriage if a fresh attempt for a compulsory national vote fails. EPA/LUKAS COCH AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND OUT

In this photo taken Jan. 28, 2017, President Donald Trump speaks on the phone with Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington. Transcripts of President Donald Trump’s conversations with the leaders of Mexico and Australia in January offer new details on how the president parried with the leaders over the politics of the border wall and refugee policy, with random asides on subjects including drug abuse in New Hampshire. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

News

Asia

The North Korean regime telegraphed a detailed plan this week to launch missiles aimed at the waters off the coast of the US Pacific territory of Guam


Donald Trump

Australian politics

‘Joined at the hip’: Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull vows to join war if North Korea attacks US

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}The North Korean regime telegraphed a detailed plan this week to launch missiles aimed at the waters off the coast of the US Pacific territory of Guam

The North Korean regime telegraphed a detailed plan this week to launch missiles aimed at the waters off the coast of the US Pacific territory of Guam