简体中文
Australia's Prime Minister Tony Abbott has ruled out introducing new taxes to pay for the fight against the Islamic State, even though the cost of the operations is likely to be as much as 40 million U.S. dollars per month.
Asked in Canberra on Tuesday whether he would rule out new taxes, Abbott replied: "Yes I can." He said the estimated cost is "significant" but manageable.
Abbott has previously said the cost of sending military personnel and equipment to the Middle East would total roughly 220 million U.S. dollars every six months. And the government has repeatedly warned Australia's mission in Iraq could stretch on for "many, many months."
His comments came as Australian Special Forces soldiers are in the United Arab Emirates and awaiting orders to travel to the north of Iraq to advise, assist and train the local defense forces in the fight against the Islamic State.
"Our forces are ready to go. We are finalizing the legal documentation," Abbott told reporters in Canberra.
Abbott said he hoped those legal barriers could be overcome " very quickly" because it was an "absolutely critical mission."
He could not say how long that would take: "I am not going to put a time limit on it. Our forces, as I said, are ready to go. We are already flying combat air patrols in the skies over Iraq and that is as it should be. Our Special Forces are ready to go. We just await the finalization of the legal documents."
On the weekend, Finance Minister Mathias Cormann refused to " rule anything in or rule anything out" when asked if the government might consider new taxes to pay for the military mission.
Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) Super Hornet fighters arrived back in the United Arab Emirates on Monday after their first combat mission in Iraq where they provided air cover for local troops in Iraq's north. They were not engaged in direct strikes.
