Dr Anthony Billingsley, Lecturer of International Relations from the UNSW School of Social Sciences, addresses the question of whether Australian Islamic State wives and their children should be brought home from Syria.
The Morrison government has shown no enthusiasm for repatriating the family members of IS fighters. But as other nations bring back their own fighters, Australia may find itself forced to act.
The cruise missile attack on Syria may have boosted President Trump’s weak standing at home but fails on more serious criteria of legality and morality, writes Anthony Billingsley.
It is nearly impossible to monitor precise numbers of those killed in war zones such as Syria. Assigning responsibility is even harder, writes Anthony Billingsley.
Any end to the fighting in Syria will have to be politically driven and it must be the Syrians themselves who decide the outcome, writes Anthony Billingsley.
Countries like Australia take refugees to serve broader purposes, including to enhance their international image and to gain leverage in international politics, argues Claire Higgins.
