Abdurrahman says Bush supports him<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): President Abdurrahman Wahid is looking to the
\nUnited States as a political ally to save his faltering
\nadministration, claiming in an interview that Washington fully
\nsupports his government and the process of democratization.<\/p>\n
His statements comes as the President plans to conduct a visit
\nto the United States in June, to be preceded by his Foreign
\nMinister Alwi Shihab.<\/p>\n
In an interview in Tuesday's edition of the Bangkok Post,
\nAbdurrahman claimed that \"the people who would like to topple me
\nhave gone to the United States to meet President (George W.) Bush
\nbut they have been rejected by the U.S. government.\"<\/p>\n
Abdurrahman held the interview during a one-day visit to
\nThailand on Monday.<\/p>\n
\"The U.S. government is supporting us ... It believes that the
\ndemocratization process should be defended and maintained,\" he
\nwas quoted as saying.<\/p>\n
The newspaper further quoted Abdurrahman as saying that the
\nmajority of Indonesian people and the military were \"firmly
\nbehind me\".<\/p>\n
Abdurrahman further insisted that Indonesia would fully
\nrecover from the economic crisis \"in the next several months\".<\/p>\n
The International Monetary Fund understood that it would be
\n\"political suicide\" for his government to stop subsidizing poor
\nfarmers, the newspaper quoted him as saying.<\/p>\n
Earlier on Tuesday, Foreign Minister Alwi Shihab said here he
\nwould also visit the United States to reassure Washington that
\nIndonesia was not conducting military operations to crush
\nseparatists in the troubled province of Aceh.<\/p>\n
He said he would explain to congressional leaders that Jakarta
\nwas promoting dialog with rebels and speeding up development in
\nthe oil and gas-rich region.<\/p>\n
He told reporters he would leave for Washington late on
\nTuesday.<\/p>\n
Alwi said he would urge the Bush administration not to
\n\"perceive the government's comprehensive plan of action as a
\nmilitary operation.\"<\/p>\n
Abdurrahman's visit to the United States is expected to
\ninclude a health checkup.<\/p>\n
The President has already had several medical checkups in the
\nUnited States, the last time being in September.<\/p>\n
While there is no official confirmation yet from the palace on
\nthe visit, which is expected to include a meeting with U.S.
\nPresident Bush, Abdurrahman told Newsweek magazine in an
\ninterview last week that he plans to visit \"in the last week of
\nJune.\"<\/p>\n
One of the likely topics expected to be raised while in the
\nUnited States is the arms embargo imposed by Washington on
\nIndonesia.<\/p>\n
Washington cut military ties with Indonesia in September 1999
\nafter the wave of terror which hit the former province of East
\nTimor.<\/p>\n
The embargo was slowly relaxed late last year to allow the Air
\nForce and navy to purchase spare parts for equipment such as non-
\ncombat aircraft and cargo ships.<\/p>\n
Washington has said that the embargo would only be lifted if a
\njudicial process is launched against those who were allegedly
\ninvolved in human rights abuses in the former Indonesian
\nprovince.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/abdurrahman-says-bush-supports-him-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}