This was published 5 years ago
Opinion
Australia needs a US ambassador who knows more than security
By John Powers
On a combat patrol, an important yet overlooked activity when first entering a hostile area is to “take a knee”. The entire patrol literally goes to one knee for five to 10 minutes to assess its surroundings and acclimatise to the environment. Then it moves out with direction and purpose.
That is what Australia should do as it pertains to the US’s decision to post Harry Harris to Seoul instead of Canberra.
Pundits and journalists alike are lamenting that the US is sending a "terrible message to Australia” and that “Australia is not a priority” for the US.
US Admiral Harry Harris will be better placed as Ambassador to South Korea.Credit: Alex Ellinghausen
That is rubbish - Australia’s leaders know it’s rubbish. Harris was the wrong person to be the ambassador to Australia because he reinforces the status quo, which revolves around a diplomatic relationship that is focused on security.
I am not saying Harris is not qualified. Harris is a warrior, a scholar, but most importantly a plain-speaking patriot who has dedicated his life to service in the interests of the US and its allies – especially in the Pacific region.
However, Australia does not need a US diplomat whose strength is in national security. That relationship between the two countries is without question. It is the enduring bond that will prevail regardless of who is president or prime Minister.
When I worked in the US Embassy in Canberra, the previous ambassador, John Berry, was fond of saying “the US and Australian alliance was built on defence and intelligence, and the cornerstone of that relationship was defence intelligence”.
Then US Ambassador to Australia John Berry understood the enduring strength of the US-Australian relationship.Credit: Alex Ellinghausen
It was that way in 1943, it is that way today, and will remain that way in the future.
Yet a robust alliance, like a national strategy, is built on four primary principles – diplomacy, economics, information integration and security. Australian leaders should consider how to influence the US’s decision on the next ambassador in order to enhance an area of the relationship that is not as strong as security but is just as important when it comes to motivating and shaping strategic direction, influence and messaging in the region.
For Australia and its regional partners, globalisation processes such as economies, business and work organisations, socio-cultural resources, and the natural environment affect the security apparatus as much, if not more, than military might.
The fastest and best solution is to elevate the deputy chief of mission and acting ambassador, Jim Carouso. Carouso is a career foreign service officer whose strength is in international banking and finance.
Before coming to Australia, he served as the director of the US State Department’s office responsible for relations with the Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, Brunei, Singapore and East Timor. He was also part of the team that negotiated the free trade agreements in Australia and Thailand. And he has lived in Indonesia, Thailand and South Africa.
A leader such as Carouso, or someone similar, would serve the alliance and the region well and would assist in weaving and strengthening those values, initiatives and associations that are unique between the US and Australia into other regional relationships, thereby assisting cooperative strategies in trade, renewable energies, commerce and defence.
This opportunity to "take a knee" comes when Australia and it regional allies are increasingly anxious about their security. But history repeatedly shows the most important aspect of a country’s national security is the strength of its economy. Insolvency and isolation usually cause nations to wither. A strong Australia is secure and prosperous.
Harris will be a superb Ambassador to South Korea. However, for Australia and the US, the next ambassador should be a person who will sustain the defence relationship but will also enhance and expand the opportunities for investment, growth and trade in keeping with both country’s national strategies.
John Powers is a retired senior executive in the US Defence and Intelligence Service and the chief strategist for Omni Executive in Canberra.