My question would be, threat to who?
I think it is the retro-1980's idea of the US sparking some horrific global conflict that will harm everyone, whether they are "on our side" or not. It's usually espoused by the "no blood for oil" types who believe everything we do has some evil, ulterior motive.
As in other cases of this type, I'm okay with it. I don't think that the average Australian feels this way, but that is my bias. If they do, hey, time will tell, as it did in the 1980's, and the 1960's, and all the other times we were going to destroy the world and nothing ever seemed to come of it.