U.S. Alliance Would Pull Australia Into New Korean War

Australia could be drawn in to any military conflict on the Korean peninsula 
under its alliance with the US, the government has confirmed.

Foreign Minister Kevin Rudd said yesterday he was watching events on the Korean 
peninsula with "razor sharp" eyes, as South Korea and the US began war games in 
the wake of several instances of aggression from North Korea.

Yesterday, amid reports of more artillery fire and the movement of missiles 
within North Korea, Mr Rudd used a television interview with the Nine Network 
to express deep concern about the developments and make clear Australia would 
have obligations to back the US and South Korea in any conflict.

He said the 1951 ANZUS Treaty set out that any attack on the territory of the 
signatories or on their armed forces within the Pacific area would require the 
allies to "act to meet the common danger", consistent with their constitutional 
processes. "That does not dictate an immediate course of military action but we 
need to be mindful of the fact that, when our forebears laid down this 
alliance, these considerations were taken into account."

Asked whether this meant that if the US went to war with North Korea, Australia 
would follow, Mr Rudd said he wanted to be "cautious and restrained" in his 
language. "Let's just ratchet this back a bit," he said. "There is a lot of 
instability on the Korean peninsula at the moment. I don't think any of us 
should be unnecessarily stoking it up.

"But I do simply state the obvious: that under our alliance with the United 
States, Article 4 of the ANZUS Treaty is clear about our requirements to act to 
meet the common danger and to do so consistent with our constitutional 
processes."
....

The Australian asked Mr Rudd whether parliament would debate Australia's 
options in the event of a US call for military help. A spokeswoman for Mr Rudd 
declined to elaborate, saying "Australia would work with the international 
community to respond in a calm and measured way."
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/us-alliance-commits-australia/story-fn59niix-1225962381189