Australia should consider CONSCRIPTION ‘while we still have time’ warns national security expert

Australia should consider introducing conscription in preparation for a possible Third World War in the coming decades, a senior defense analyst has warned.

Dr. Alexey Muraviev of Curtin University in Western Australia said the current wars in Eastern Europe and the Middle East could be the spark for a nuclear catastrophe.

“The primary consideration is preparing countries and coalitions for the possibility of an all-out world war,” he wrote in an op-ed for Sky News.

The associate professor of national security said there were “several potential flashpoints” in countries near Australia that could lead to “open confrontation”.

“Maybe it is time for Australia to consider the return of conscription,” Dr Muraviev said.

Dr. Alexey Muraviev of Curtin University in Western Australia said the current wars in Eastern Europe and the Middle East could be the spark for a nuclear catastrophe. Australian soldiers deployed to Britain train Ukrainian recruits

A report prepared last year for the Albanian government based on top-secret war gaming exercises found that the Australian Defense Force (ADF) would struggle to respond to a plausible scenario, such as China setting up a military base in a nearby country in the Pacific ocean.

That would bring the Chinese army within 2,000 kilometers of Australia and have major consequences for the balance of power in the South Pacific.

“The issue of the size of the ADF came to the fore during Australia’s states of emergency in Afghanistan and Iraq, both of which required significant commitments supported by regular personnel changes,” Dr Muraviev wrote.

“As the risk of Australia becoming involved in a major war increases, we face a short window of opportunity to address some of the shortcomings in our defense capabilities.”

Dr. Muraviev is far from the first Australian to recently propose bringing back conscription.

Australian soldiers are pictured conducting mission training before heading to Britain to help train Ukrainian soldiers

In November 2022, former Prime Minister Tony Abbott said high school graduates should be forced to serve 12 months in the military.

‘To people turning 18 or leaving school, we expect you to spend a significant period of time, six months, 12 months or whatever, doing something for our country, giving something back, whether it’s putting on a uniform and become at least a fundamentally trained infantry soldier,” Abbott said in a podcast.

The call for the introduction of compulsory military service is also growing in Europe.

Last week, General Sir Patrick Sanders, head of the British Army, proposed a “citizen army” as a way to increase the size of Britain’s standing fighting force.

“Taking preparatory steps to be able to put our societies on a war footing when necessary is now not only desirable but essential,” he said.

“We need a military designed to expand rapidly to enable the first echelon, resource the second echelon, and train and equip the civilian army that must follow.”

Former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson used his Daily Mail column to support Sir Patrick and vowed to fight in the British army if war broke out with Russia.

Australia currently recruits its defense force on an entirely voluntary basis and has not recruited soldiers since the Vietnam War.

A Labor government under then Prime Minister Gough Whitlam abolished the peacetime National Service in 1972, although they left open the possibility that it could be reactivated in times of war.

Dr. Muraviev said that with the war between Russia and Ukraine in Europe, the war between Israel and Palestine in the Middle East and rising tensions between China and Taiwan, now is the time for Australia to reconsider conscription.

‘Tough times call for tough measures. And that may include the need to step outside everyone’s comfort zone, unless we don’t really believe in sovereignty, independence and freedoms,” he said.

A Labor government under then Prime Minister Gough Whitlam (pictured) abolished the peacetime National Service in 1972, although they left open the possibility that it could be reactivated in times of war.

‘We should be asking ourselves and Labor under Anthony Albanese whether we should consider reintroducing some form of national service to increase a pool of trained reserves while we still have time.’

He said the other option was to wait until you are drawn into a major conflict and then deal with the consequences.

“Australia’s proactive stance on the international stage and our strengthened commitment to key alliances with the US, Britain and other partners do not really leave room for a third option.

“So, what’s it going to be,” said Dr. Muraviev.