Australia has appointed a former senior army officer, Roger Noble, as its ambassador for counter-terrorism. Noble, who most recently served as a Major General and Head of the defence force’s Military Strategic Commitments in Canberra, will represent Australia at international forums and lead international engagement on counter-terrorism. The former military leader, who holds multiple masters degrees, takes up the ambassadorship when Australia is strategically manoeuvering with its international allies and partners to secure a free and open Indo-Pacific region in the face of an increasingly expansionist Chinese regime. In announcing Noble’s appointment, Foreign Minister Marise Payne spoke about this year being the 2oth anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks in the United States. “Since then, the international community has worked more closely than ever to combat terrorism and violent extremism in all forms, including to counter terrorist financing, recruitment, and networking,” Payne said in a statement. “Australia continues to …