Request for Australia to join Syria airstrikes against ISIS stemmed from Obama-Abbott phone call

The request by the U.S. for Australia to join it in bringing down ISIS forces in Syria was pushed by Washington some weeks ago with a phone call from the U.S President Barak Obama, Prime Minister Tony Abbott said on Wednesday. However, senior government sources now say that the formal request for the R.A.A.F to join the U.S. military in their air strike mission in Syria came from Canberra rather than from Washington to the Prime Minister’s office.

"I had a request from President Obama some weeks ago to consider strikes into Syria," Mr Abbott said. "After that, I asked our military officials to talk to the Pentagon and in the wake of those conversations, a formal request for Australian involvement in airstrikes in Syria has come.

We'll consider this and we'll make a decision in the next week or so."

According to Fairfax Media, government sources said the topic of Syria was raised by Mr Obama, who suggested Australia expand its airstrikes against ISIS into Syria when the Australian prime minister had called on him in July to express solidarity over the Chattanooga shootings.

Treasurer Joe Hockey also said that the president of the United States had formally sought Australia’s assistance in a phone call to the prime minister and that he would not consider reports that it was from Canberra.

“I'm sure they've had many discussions about the issue from time to time but the fundamental point is the US made the request to us and we are considering that request,” the treasurer told ABC TV on Wednesday.

Fairfax Media quoted Defence Minister Kevin Andrews as confirming the prime minister’s statement that it was Mr Obama who initiated the discussions on Syria.

Syria is in a far more complex state than Iraq as it is embroiled in a full-blown civil war. Russia, Turkey and Iran are also pursuing Syria with their own vested interests. Whereas Russia is Syria’s biggest supplier of arms and it wants to remove U.S influence from the region, religion and the strategic location of Syria are reasons why Iran is interested in it. Turkey on the other hand shares its border with the country and has vested religious and political interests in it.

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