(1)   What knowledge does the Government have of the US Department of State’s new Bureau of Reconstruction and Stabilization.

(2)   Is it the case, as reported in the 4 July 2005 issue of the journal The American Conservative, that this new department is charged with surveillance of 25 countries which are candidates for military attack and reconstruction as ‘market democracies’.

(3)   Is it the case, as reported, that capacity and contracts are being developed in the US for three full-scale simultaneous destruction/reconstruction operations in different countries.

(4)   Have any talks or other correspondence been exchanged between the United States of America (US) and Australia with regard to these plans; if so, what, if any, agreement has been reached about Australia’s involvement in these projects.

(5)   Can the Government provide an assurance that no Australian troops will be involved in either destruction or reconstruction activities with the US.

(1)   Our Embassy in Washington routinely liaises with the Office of the Co-coordinator for Reconstruction and Stabilisation to share information on recent and ongoing US and Australian efforts to assist post conflict societies. To this end the embassy has facilitated recent visits to the office by Australian experts on these efforts, namely members of the Joint Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade; senior representatives of the Australian Federal Police; and senior AusAid officials.

(2)   The stated mission of the Office of the Coordinator for Reconstruction and Stabilisation is to lead, coordinate and institutionalise US Government civilian capacity to prevent or prepare for post-conflict situations, and to help stabilise and reconstruct societies in transition from conflict or civil strife, so they can reach a sustainable path toward peace, democracy and a market economy.

(3)   This is not what we understand the purpose of the Bureau of Reconstruction and Stabilization to be.

(4)   Refer to Question Three

(5)   The Government does not speculate on hypothetical scenarios.