Australia’s most senior military commanders were not told of a major shift in Middle East policy until after the media was briefed.
Defence Chief Angus Campbell concedes he would have preferred if it were the other way round.
Senior Defence officials learned about a planned announcement regarding the possible relocation of Australia’s embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem last Monday afternoon.
However, operational commanders in the field were not informed until the following day, after the proposal was published online and splashed across newspaper front pages.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison then detailed the controversial idea during a press conference on Tuesday morning.
Despite the unusual chain of events, General Campbell said he had no concerns for the protection of Australian troops.
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