"Enemies can be refashioned and rebranded overnight, even if they do tend to hold the credit strings. This is the backdrop of the remarks made last week by David Shear, the US Defense Department's Assistant Secretary for Asian and Pacific Security Affairs," the scholar stressed.
Citing the US senior military official, Binoy Kampmark revealed that Washington is considering "placing additional air force assets in Australia as well, including B-1 bombers and surveillance aircraft," pointing out that the move is being planned in addition to the further deployment of US troops and marines in the Western Pacific.
Although the Abbott cabinet has repeatedly stated that the US military presence in the region is contributing to the country's stability, this sentiment bears no relation to reality, the scholar noted.
"The reality remains that any country silly enough to host powerful, strategic powers is bound to be inviting itself as a target, not of stability, but concerted instability," he underscored.
While the United States is involved in the military buildup in the region, the goals of such preparations remain unclear.
"DoD needs to explain the purposes of force posture adjustments in the light of the new security challenges in the Asia Pacific region," the report stated.
Those who sow the wind will reap the whirlwind, the scholar warned.
"The latest, if seemingly inconsistent round of promised military deployments are ominous, but those in Beijing will have anticipated them. A response is bound to come in due course," he concluded.
