PM’s gaffe leaves a hostile Asian audience

The American enunciation of a doctrine of preemption brought muted criticism , perhaps because American power is unchallenged. A similar claim to the right to launch preemptive attack on neighbors if they harbored terrorists planning to attack Australia brought howls of criticism from Asian neighbors. There is a danger that Australia’s tough talk may harm its relations with neighbors without necessarily strengthening its defense against terrorist attack. An Australian commentator says: “Howard has unnecessarily damaged relations with the region's governments and fanned hostility toward Australia among the people in those countries. It makes it that much harder to prosecute the war on terrorism where it poses the gravest danger.” - YaleGlobal