First contingent of 200 US marines arrives in Darwin

[MindMover]

Source: BBC

The first contingent of 200 United States marines has arrived in Darwin.

The troops are there on a six-month rotational basis and will take part in training exercises with the Australian Defence Force.

The two countries are boosting defence ties, with the US eventually deploying a 2,500-strong force in northern Australia by 2017.

The move has irked China but US and Australian leaders have stressed it is not an attempt to contain China.

Australia's Defence Minister Stephen Smith welcomed the troops, and told ABC News that the mood in northern Australia was ''one of very strong enthusiasm''.

In a joint statement, Mr Smith, Prime Minister Julia Gillard and Northern Territory Chief Minister Paul Henderson said the deployment was ''an evolution of existing exercises and activities'' that the defence forces of both countries already engaged in.

Read more: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-17606594

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What again are we guarding...?

[longship]

1. Before long they'll be saying G'day

And watching "Footie" on the tube. (look up Aussie rules football, aka footie)

"Many people poo-poo Australian table wines; but after six bottles of this, you've really had it." (thank you Monty Python)

[msongs]

2. so we are invading yet another country? hmmm they oughta be stateside doing something useful nt

[The Northerner]

3. Is there any justification for this global military expansion?

[tclambert]

4. It's about time we invaded Australia! After Mel Gibson, Russell Crowe, and Nicole Kidman invaded us.

And Geoffrey Rush, Hugh Jackman, AC/DC, Air Supply, George Lazenby, and Elle Macpherson.

OK, wait, those last two are cool. Macpherson is gorgeous and Lazenby was the best James Bond ever.

In fact, the others are pretty cool, too.

Oh, never mind.

[truebrit71]

5. Lazenby was AWFUL as Bond....

...But I do think a retaliatory strike is in order just for us having to suffer Mel Gibson all these years....