Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Australian troops including some elite special forces could become part of a US-led effort to train and advise local troops on the ground in Iraq.
Fairfax Media understands that while no request has been made of Australia as yet, the US plans to bolster Iraqi and Kurdish forces through training and advice and would likely be eager for help from partners including Australia.
It would mean Australians were on the ground in Iraq but they would not serve in combat roles.
As Washington prepares to unveil its strategy for beating back the ruthless Islamic State group, Prime Minister Tony Abbott signalled for the first time on Monday he may send Australian Defence Force personnel as advisers.
"We are continuing to talk to our partners and allies about how Australia might be able to contribute, whether we should help with some air capability, whether we should help with some military advisers," Mr Abbott said on Monday.
Mr Abbott also gave his clearest acknowledgement yet that the "humanitarian" goals of any military action - to which he has frequently referred in recent weeks - would involve a sustained effort to break up the militant organisation that has wreaked havoc in Iraq.
"Obviously part of protecting people could involve disrupting, degrading, ISIL's capacity," he said, using the alternative name for the Islamic State.
While the prospect of contributing fighter jets or other aircraft to a bombing campaign has been widely canvassed, this is the first time the Prime Minister has flagged sending military advisers to the country.
He stuck by his well-used proviso that "no specific request has yet been made" by the US, which would lead any international effort to stop the Islamic State in Iraq.
But the suggestion of advisers adheres closely to what US news reports indicate is shaping up as Washington's strategy.
US President Barack Obama will use a speech on Thursday, Australian time, to make his case and outline his strategy for defeating the Islamic State.
The New York Times cited "senior administration officials" saying that beyond the current air strikes being carried out by the US, the second phase of the campaign would involve an intensified effort to train, advise and equip the Iraqi military, Kurdish Peshmerga forces and perhaps Sunni tribal fighters.
The officials acknowledged that the battle against the militants could take three years, given the final phase - which may last beyond Mr Obama's term as President - consists of the far more complex job of tackling the Islamic State in Syria.
In a television interview on Sunday, Mr Obama said that his aim was "to systematically degrade their capabilities … shrink the territory that they control and, ultimately … defeat them."
Fairfax Media has been told that any contribution of advisers by Australia could include special forces such as the SAS or commandos.
Canada, a country regarded as having similar strategic weight as Australia, has already announced it will send "dozens" of advisers to Iraq. Some of these include special forces, according to media reports.
