Defence Minister David Johnston said Australia is “not ruling out” providing backup military support for the US “as they go in and deal kinetically with this terrorist organisation.” Australia is already providing two Hercules transport planes for airlifting supplies. He said: “Islamic State … is not just a terrorist group, it is a terrorist army. They are seeking not just a terrorist enclave, but effectively a terrorist state, a terrorist nation.” Australian jihadist Khaled Sharrouf reportedly posted a photo on social media of his seven-year-old son in Syria holding the severed head of an Islamic State victim. In June, the number of Australians fighting in Syria was estimated to be around 200, and ISIS was actively recruiting Australians.
