AUSGOV can't control Australian Islamic schools - so why do we continue pouring millions into Islamist schools in the IS Southern Philippines
Monday, 12 June 2017
In June 2016 we reported on the Islamic State's claim to sovereignty over the autonomous Muslim Mindanao southern region of The Philippines. We wrote to DFAT about the millions of Australian aid money pouring in to the Islamic State influenced Madrassas (Islamist schools) in the region. DFAT ignored us and continued to fund the indefensible.
At the time a former SASR contact wrote to me privately (neither this nor the following comments from the SASR contact have been published before)
On 31 January this year The Philippines government confirmed the Islamic State in Syria was in command and control contact with Islamist militias and Islamist leaders in the region. Julie Bishop and DFAT continue to pour money into the region to pay for Islamists to acquire Koranic knowledge.
I asked the same SASR contact who works in security in the region to comment on DFAT's lack of action on The Philippines and continued support for Madrassas:
Yeah the situation in the South Philippines, including the way the schools are structured is fueling the monster of terrorism mate, Australia like many other Governments are out of touch with reality of the situation. The Philippines has become the HQ for all regional terror groups, and they are all now communicating and starting to plan joint operations. Conflict is the only option, or allow the cancer to spread as they are doing now. I have no idea what value giving millions of dollars to any Islamic establishment brings to the Australian people. We cannot even control Islamic schools in our own country that have been bleeding money out to other Islamic groups. We are run by morons mate. Glad Trump is rocking the boat these days.
On 28 March this year big-noting celebrity foreign minister Julie Bishop held court in Washington where for the first time she "discovered" the Islamic State moves in The Philippines.
Bishop warns of new Islamic caliphate in Southeast Asia
Julie Bishop has warned of the prospect of a new Islamic caliphate being declared in the southern Philippines following the return of foreign fighters from the war against Islamic State in the Middle East.
Speaking on Sky News, Ms Bishop argued this would bring the threat of Islamic State “right to our doorstep” and said she raised the problem of foreign fighters returning to the Southeast Asian region at the Washington meeting of the coalition against IS last week.
Last week inept Defence Minister Payne said that if the Philippines was to ask for our help to fight the now entrenched Islamic State beheaders in the south of the country "we would consider the request - if it came to us".
We need to be much more on the front foot here - especially with so woefully inept and wantonly incompetent ministers in Foreign Affairs and Defence.
The Southern Philippines isn't just a problem for The Philippines. It is affecting and will continue to affect our security - much more than Afghanistan, Syria or Iraq ever did.
Former Australian Army LTCOL and Iraq veteran Kyle Tyrell wrote to me over the weekend:
This signals the fact that IS Forces in Mindanao have successfully resisted the Philippines security forces. The longer this is the case the more likely Mindanao is to become the "Asian Iraq"...with the worlds largest Islamic population on its door step and other significant numbers in countries such as Malaysia feeding the battle with fresh, radicalised young men will be easy.
Watch as this becomes the next global crisis....