The Fifth Estate: Defence policy in the age of ISIS

Sally Warhaft is joined by James Brown, former Australian Army officer, now Military Fellow at the Lowy Institute, and Greg Barton (director, international, of the Global Terrorism Research Centre and co-editor of the journal Islam and Christian Muslim Relations). These distinguished insiders will lend their experience and insight in a special Fifth Estate on Australia’s defence policy in the age of ISIS.

As Australian hornets strike Islamic State targets over Iraq and our special forces remain on standby to once again enter conflict in the Middle East, questions arise about Australia’s defence and foreign policy priorities. Should we be focusing our intelligence and defence resources on global alliances or our own region? How binding is the ANZUS treaty and Australia’s obligations to United States foreign policy objectives? And what has changed within our borders with the rise of homegrown fundamentalists connected to a stateless, criminal terror network with no regard for human life?

Podcast Download the podcast: mp3 (63m46s, 30.6mb)

The Fifth Estate Since 2012, anthropologist and broadcaster Sally Warhaft has been the Wheeler Centre’s in-house news anchor. Her fortnightly live interview series continues as she reacts to the latest stories whipping up a storm in the media.

Every second Tuesday, Sally hosts a dizzying array of guests from the political and cultural world, in a witty and revealing analysis of current affairs. Topical guests are announced in the weeks prior to the events – check our website for updates.

2014 events (all available via podcast on our website) have included Malcolm Fraser on Australia’s dangerous alliance with the US, Bob Carr on the culture of government, international whistleblowers Thomas Drake and Jesselyn Radack, and Anne Summers and Mary Delahunty on women, power and politics.