Pentagon not Australia as base for troops in Asian reshuffle: Hill
'The Pentagon is planning a broad realignment of troops in Asia that may include moving marines out of Japan and establishing a network of small bases in countries such as Australia, Singapore and Malaysia. The Minister for Defence, Robert Hill, is due to meet the US Deputy Defence Secretary, Paul Wolfowitz, in Singapore at the weekend and will discuss the proposals... The US is considering moving most of the 20,000 marines in Okinawa to new bases that would be established in Australia; increasing the presence of US troops in Singapore and Malaysia; and seeking agreements to base navy ships in Vietnamese waters and ground troops in the Philippines.'

Questions for Prime Minister John Howard and Defence Minister Robert Hill: Will the government rule out the basing of US or any foreign troops on Australian territory except in the case of a direct threat to Australian security such as the Japanese offensive of the Second World War? Does Australia have enough of its own troops and forces to defend its own territory in the current environment?

Pentagon not Australia as base for troops in Asian reshuffle: Hill
'The Pentagon is planning a broad realignment of troops in Asia that may include moving marines out of Japan and establishing a network of small bases in countries such as Australia, Singapore and Malaysia. The Minister for Defence, Robert Hill, is due to meet the US Deputy Defence Secretary, Paul Wolfowitz, in Singapore at the weekend and will discuss the proposals... The US is considering moving most of the 20,000 marines in Okinawa to new bases that would be established in Australia; increasing the presence of US troops in Singapore and Malaysia; and seeking agreements to base navy ships in Vietnamese waters and ground troops in the Philippines.'

Questions for Prime Minister John Howard and Defence Minister Robert Hill: Will the government rule out the basing of US or any foreign troops on Australian territory except in the case of a direct threat to Australian security such as the Japanese offensive of the Second World War? Does Australia have enough of its own troops and forces to defend its own territory in the current environment?