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A recent study conducted by the Australian National University reveals a significant portion of Australians are bracing for potential military conflict in the near future. Approximately 68% of Australians foresee the country becoming embroiled in a military conflict within the next five years, with half of those surveyed expressing concern that Australia itself could be directly attacked.
Among those anticipating such an attack, 43% fear it could have catastrophic consequences for the nation. Despite this, there is a prevailing sense of inadequacy regarding Australia’s preparedness to handle such a severe situation.
The study highlights that less than 20% of participants feel that Australia is ‘very’ or ‘fully’ prepared for a military conflict. In fact, the majority of respondents perceive the level of preparedness as only ‘slight’ or ‘moderate’.
Professor Rory Medcalf from ANU comments on the findings, stating, “In a time when our security landscape is changing, it would be wrong to assume that Australians are complacent. Most are concerned and want to know more.”
“In a time when our security landscape is changing, it would be wrong to assume that Australians are complacent. Most are concerned and want to know more,” said ANU Professor Rory Medcalf.
The Australian government’s terrorism threat level is currently listed as “probable”, which means there is a more than 50 per cent chance of an attack in the next 12 months, or an attack being planned during this time.
Australia’s national spy agency ASIO said there was a “normalisation of provocative and inflammatory behaviours”, and warned the current conflict in the Middle East was resonating in Australia, and could motivate potential attacks.
They said any attack was most likely to be conducted by a lone perpetrator or a small group in a simple and low-cost manner.
“Basic weapons, such as knives, vehicles, explosives, and firearms can maximise casualties when combined with simple tactics,” the agency warns.
The survey, which took in responses from 20,000 people across the country, found non-military threats were viewed as more serious, with AI-attacks, severe economic crisis, and disruption to critical supplies viewed as significant fears for Australians.
With a disrupted oil supply leading to skyrocketing fuel prices and demand for petrol across the country due to the Middle East conflict, Australians’ fears may not be completely unfounded.
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