IS destruction must be united effort

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull says coalition nations have to destroy IS together and Australia cannot act unilaterally.

Australian Federal Defence Minister Kevin Andrews.

Former defence minister Kevin Andrews says Australia's efforts in Syria have been insufficient. (AAP)

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has ruled out any Australian military action to defeat Islamic State that's not part of a broader coalition effort.

Fresh home from a succession of international gatherings, Mr Turnbull said the response to the Paris terror attacks was front and centre of all discussions.

"We have to destroy ISIL together. But we cannot and should not act unilaterally," he told parliament.

Mr Turnbull said Australia was already contributing a force second only to the US - an air task group including six F/A-18 Hornets, special forces advising the Iraqi military and 300 soldiers training Iraqi army units.

Any unilateral contribution would be unreasonable and unwise, and in violation of the agreement with the Iraqi government.

Mr Turnbull said some in Australia and in the US wanted America and its allies to dispatch a large expeditionary force to conquer IS forces and hold Syria in much the same way Iraq was occupied in 2003.

"That is not the policy of the US government or any of the coalition partners and it is unrealistic for Australia to embark on any military operations in that region other than in partnership with our allies," he said.

The prime minister returned home to calls from within the coalition for a greater Australian military contribution, from former leader Tony Abbott last week and from former defence minister Kevin Andrews on Monday.

Both were in similar terms - the campaign against IS wasn't going well and could be enhanced by a small number of special forces to better direct air strikes.

Mr Andrews said three-quarters of all coalition aircraft now returned to base carrying all their missiles and bombs, so it wasn't a question of needing more aircraft.

"You'll never be able to drop bombs where you need to drop them adequately or in sufficient numbers unless you have some presence on the ground for a start," he told Sky News.

Mr Andrews said a carefully-calibrated military response was needed to improve the effectiveness of coalition air strikes.

He said the combination of Kurdish forces on the ground in northern Iraq, supported by coalition air power, showed how effective this could be.

Mr Andrews attracted little support from his coalition colleagues.

Treasurer Scott Morrison said he would be surprised if Mr Andrews was really suggesting Australia should take unilateral action.

"As a former defence minister, he'd be very well aware of the parameters that currently has Australia with 780 personnel in that theatre," he told reporters.

Tasmanian Liberal Andrew Nikolic, a former army officer, noted the difference made by a small number of US special forces in Afghanistan in 2001, a point made by Mr Abbott last week.

But he said Australia was already making a "very good contribution" and hadn't been asked to provide more.

Mr Andrews did attract support from independent Jacqui Lambie who said Russia and the West needed to be involved.

"It is either one in, all in, or we don't bother going in at all," she said.


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Source: AAP


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IS destruction must be united effort | SBS News