Tim Blair

INVEST in earplugs! The shrieking

INVEST in earplugs! The shrieking over this will deafen millions:

Australia has been approached to provide bases for US forces and combat and reconnaissance aircraft as part of a bold plan to bolster the war on terror in southeast Asia.

The US approach is also understood to be related to concerns in Washington over threats to Indonesia's stability from fundamentalist Islamist groups and separatist movements, such as in Aceh.