>>14585803 (pb)

>>14585841 (pb)

Ministers granted border exemptions to attend urgent meeting in Canberra

Anthony Galloway and Rob Harris - September 15, 2021

Several federal cabinet ministers were called to a top-secret meeting in Canberra on Wednesday ahead of a major international development expected out of the United States on Thursday morning.

Sources familiar with the development said some members of cabinet were granted border exemptions to urgently fly to Canberra for the hastily arranged meeting, which sources say will have international significance.

Defence Minister Peter Dutton and Foreign Minister Marise Payne, who are in Washington for a series of meetings over the next two days, were said to have joined the meeting via a secure connection.

Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese and three other senior members of his frontbench were also given the rare opportunity to be briefed on the highly sensitive matter.

Several Coalition MPs told this masthead they had been ordered at short-notice to dial into a rare conference call for 9.30am on Thursday, but none were aware of the reason for the briefing.

Australian and foreign diplomats will also be briefed on the development on Thursday.

The announcement, also significant to the United States and British governments, will be made at 7am Australian time.

The White House said US President Joe Biden would deliver “brief remarks about a national security initiative”.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison will travel to Washington next week for a meeting of the Quad alliance which includes the US, India Japan and Australia. Mr Morrison will have his first in-person one-on-one meeting with Mr Biden during the trip.

Mr Dutton and Senator Payne are to meet face-to-face with their US counterparts Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin

Measures to counter China’s trade strikes and other “grey zone” attacks, as well as an Australian request to be granted greater access to US missile technology, will be on the agenda in the meetings.

The withdrawal from Afghanistan and the potential for future terrorism threats will also be discussed.

https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/ministers-granted-border-exemptions-to-attend-urgent-meeting-in-canberra-20210915-p58rzn.html

>>14585950

Biden to announce joint deal with U.K. and Australia on advanced defense-tech sharing

One source said there is a nuclear-defense infrastructure to the three-way pact known as AUUKUS.

ALEXANDER WARD - 09/15/2021

President Joe Biden will announce a new working group with Britain and Australia to share advanced technologies in a thinly veiled bid to counter China, a White House official and a Congressional staffer told POLITICO.

The trio, which will be known by the acronym AUUKUS, will make it easier for the nations to share information and know-how in key technological areas like artificial intelligence, cyber, underwater systems and long-range strike capabilities

One of the people said there will be a nuclear element to the pact in which the U.S. and U.K. share their knowledge of how to maintain nuclear-defense infrastructure.

There’s nothing explicitly mentioning China in the three-way deal, the people said, but both noted that the subtext of the announcement is that this is another move by Western allies to push back on China’s rise in the military and technology arenas.

Biden will announce the deal in a 5:00 p.m. address Wednesday.

https://www.politico.com/amp/news/2021/09/15/biden-deal-uk-australia-defense-tech-sharing-511877?__twitter_impression=true

>>14585950

>>14586074

Australia, US and UK to form AUUKUS under a new nuclear defence pact

Scott Morrison will announce Australia’s submarine program will “go nuclear” under a new defence pact that could spell bad news for China.

Samantha Maiden - September 15, 2021

Scott Morrison is set to announce Australia’s submarine program will “go nuclear” under a new defence pact with the US and the UK that has been described as “China’s worst nightmare.”

The new grouping to be known as AUUKUS will advise Australia on how to identify the best way to acquire nuclear-powered submarine capability and share advanced technologies involving artificial intelligence.

The US-based Politico website reports that President Joe Biden will announce a new working group with Britain and Australia to share advanced technologies to counter China at 7am AEST.

“The trio, which will be known by the acronym AUUKUS, will make it easier for the nations to share information and know-how in key technological areas like artificial intelligence, cyber, underwater systems and long-range strike capabilities,’’ the report states.

There would be a “nuclear element to the pact in which the US and UK share their knowledge of how to maintain nuclear-defense infrastructure.”

Senior ministers were rushing back to Canberra on Wednesday night for national security meetings ahead of the major announcement.

Labor leader Anthony Albanese and several Labor frontbenchers were also briefed with Defence Minister Peter Dutton and Foreign Affairs Minister Marise Payne, who are overseas, dialling in for the meetings.

Diplomatic and defence sources suggest it could involve operating US submarines out of Perth’s HMAS Stirling.

But there was also speculation that the British Government could be involved to support Australia secure the technology required to service nuclear submarines.

The proposal for Australia to tear up existing contracts for French subs and purchase US nuclear technology has previously been described as “China’s Worst Nightmare” in the region – which could “tip the military balance in Asia.”

In June, the Prime Minister held discussions with French President Emmanuel Macron over growing concerns regarding the $90 billion project that will not deliver submarines until 2030

The Australian Naval Institute has recently been promoting the option as the best ‘Plan B’ for Australia’s troubled submarine program.

“With regional tensions increasing, then building our own one-off type submarines which will arrive in the early 2030s is not good enough. We have no guarantee they will work,’’ the article stated.

“When we built the Collins class submarines (at exorbitant expense) they did not work properly for several years. It is only now – after decades of operation – that they are reasonably functional.

“Submarines are the ultimate deterrent and attack weapon: their location is hopefully unknown, and they can strike at targets without warning. But we need to expand beyond the capabilities of the Collins, and also the French Attack boats which we should abandon.

“Instead we should buy 12 of a proven design which is already in the water. We want long-range hunter-killer vessels. We also want them to be able to stay submerged for long periods to avoid detection. Nuclear does this in spades.”

The Prime Minister is scheduled to fly to Washington next week for talks with the US President. He has recently been jetting between Sydney and Canberra for national security meetings that his office said could not be conducted remotely.

https://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/federal-ministers-fly-to-canberra-amid-big-us-australia-news-announcement/news-story/72b68a5756b0acb81845137c8157951b

>>14586261

>is this the new FVEY five eyes?

Could be.

>It won’t be around much longer.

https://qanon.pub/#912