US Wants Australian SOF to Fight the Islamic State

As the world awaits Obama to deliver his ISIS strategy, Australia is looking more and more likely to mobilise its special operations forces to contribute to the overall mission of destroying the extremist movement. The West Australian has reported that the US-led coalition has welcomed the offer of Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) fighter jets, but believes that “Australia’s most valuable contribution to the mission would be the Special Air Service Regiment and the Commandos.”

As I discussed in my previous article, the positioning of our SOF elements in the region under the pretense of protecting RAAF aircraft and crews appeared to be the first step in accustoming a war-weary public to the fact that we were going to be engaged in combat operations. The initial mobilization of the 2nd Commando Regiment and the Special Air Service Regiment was a low signature and rapid way to posture our nation’s elite for what is now looking like the inevitable decision that was always going to be made.