WASHINGTON – PM Lee dismissed the notion that Singapore’s participation would make it more of a target for terrorist.
On Tuesday (2 August), Mr Lee had announced that Singapore would be sending a medical team to contribute to the effort against ISIS, noting that Singapore also has had detachments in the Middle East for some time.
Speaking to reporters from Singapore as he wrapped up an official visit to the US capital, he explained that the decision to send a medical team to contribute to the effort against ISIS was made with Singapore’s safety in mind.
Singapore is a target for the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) whether or not the country participates in the US-led coalition against the militant group, said Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong.
“We are a target of ISIS anyway. The JI (Jemaah Islamiyah) were looking for us before we did anything and before we knew they existed,” he said.
“If they see Indonesia and Malaysia as legitimate targets, all the more Singapore is a rational, open, cosmopolitan country, and not what they think countries should be, and therefore should be attacked. So do not think that by lying low, we are not going to be a target.”
Singapore has deployed Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) liaison officers to the US Central Command Headquarters, Intelligence Fusions Officers, an Imagery Analysis Team, and a RSAF KC-135 tanker to support air-to-air refueling operations since 2014, .
It’s still a questions whether Singapore is a target for terrorist if the country doesn’t get involved in the matter or not.
Quite a lot of thoughts has been disclosed concerning this matter as you can read in TOC’s reports,
Read:
- Stop the warmongers
- In Singapore, Afghanistan and the arena of ideas
- Singapore’s Iraq policy was clear as mud
