The aussie posse

摘要

Canberra is becoming a bigger player in Asia's regional security, helping its neighbors when they can't help themselves. In January australian foreign Minister Alexander Downer seemed like a very cautious man. Military interventions, according to Australia's senior diplomat, were messy affairs that hefd little interest for his country. Even relatively small-scale actions beyond Australia's horders were scoffed at. When asked whether Canberra would consider sending troops to quell violence in theSolomon Islands, Downer said such an action would be "folly in the extreme." Not only would such an intervention be expensive and dangerous, but most of all, he said, it "just wouldn't work."