The Aussie Posse.

In January Australian Foreign Minister Alexander Downer seemed like a very cautious man. Military interventions, according to Australia's senior diplomat, were messy affairs that held little interest for his country. Even relatively small-scale actions beyond Australia's borders were scoffed at. When asked whether Canberra would consider sending troops to quell violence in the Solomon Islands, Downer said such an action would be "folly in the extreme." Not only would such an intervention be expensive and dangerous, but most of all, he said, it "just wouldn't work."

But that was seven months and a gulf war ago. Australia is now flexing its muscles across Asia, raising its profile as a would-be regional watchdog. Two weeks ago Australian forces began that improbable South Pacific adventure: 1,200 heavily armed soldiers and support personnel, along with a team of police and administrators, landed on Guadalcanal's Red Beach to restore order in the Solomons after five years of rebellion and savage tribal fighting. Australian soldiers remain on duty in East Timor, where in 1999 an Australian-led force ended the bloodshed that followed a referendum on Indonesian rule. And, in response to heightened concerns about regional terrorism, Australian law-enforcement officers are now expanding their activities in places like Indonesia and the Philippines. The stepped-up presence abroad is matched by a shift in rhetoric. Downer now talks about Australia's security being threatened by "instability" and "state failure" and promises that "we will not sit back and watch."

One place where the Aussies are not waiting to act is Southeast Asia. Two decades ago Australian Federal Police (AFP) began to place agents in the region to battle drug running. Now, after the Bali bombings that killed 200 people, including 88 Australians, the numbers of AFP officers are rising again as they gather intelligence and form strike teams to take on terrorist groups like Jemaah Islamiyah, the Southeast Asian outfit linked to Al Qaeda and believed to be responsible for the blasts. They've already scored several successes. Indeed, it was Australian forensic technology--which is far more advanced than anything local police have at their disposal--that led to the arrest of the terrorists behind the Bali bombing. "No one can guarantee there won't be a terrorist incident, but we know more about Jemaah ...