Australia

The terrorist attacks on the United States of September 11,2001, have, when combined with America's newfound sense of insecurity, produced fundamental changes in the way the United States interacts with the world. This has had a profound effect on the way other nations perceive the United States, and it has, in many cases, damaged America's relations with friends, allies, and neutral states. Some observers have gone so far as to speculate that present realities threaten to render the existing system of American alliances "superfluous." ¹ While this may increasingly be the case in Europe, Australia stands in Asia as a state that has drawn closer to the United States since 9/11. Australia has traditionally sought to involve the United States in its corner of the world and has welcomed America's Asia-Pacific presence. Australia has also increasingly played an active role in promoting stability in its region. Since 9/11 this has in part been justified by the need to prevent failing states from becoming failed states from which terrorists could potentially draw arms and support or use for money laundering. It is also drawing Australia to cooperate with moderate Islam and to nurture closer relations with Indonesia and other Southeast Asian states as it attempts to mitigate extremist Islamic threats that could arise in the region. ²