ASEAN-U.S. pact OK, but no troop deployment<\/p>\n
Agencies, Bandar Seri Begawan<\/p>\n
An anti-terrorism pact to be signed by the United States and 10
\nSoutheast Asian nations allows for greater cooperation in
\ncounter-terrorism measures, but stops short of providing for U.S.
\ntroop deployment in the region, an ASEAN foreign minister said
\nSunday.<\/p>\n
The deployment of US forces \"is not part of the framework\" and
\nwill be an individual choice for the Association of Southeast
\nAsian Nations (ASEAN) members, Malaysian Foreign Minister Syed
\nHamid Albar said.<\/p>\n
U.S. and ASEAN foreign ministers are expected to sign the
\n\"Joint Declaration for Cooperation to Combat International
\nTerrorism\" following regional security talks in Brunei this week.<\/p>\n
A draft document was settled over the weekend after taking
\ninto account concerns of Indonesia and Vietnam on the role of the
\nUnited Nations and interference in domestic affairs.<\/p>\n
ASEAN officials reached a consensus Saturday addressing fears
\nby Indonesia and Vietnam that the terrorism accord could lead to
\nthe basing of U.S. ground troops in the region. They sought
\nguarantees for national sovereignty and non-interference in
\ninternal affairs.<\/p>\n
One Asian diplomat, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said
\nWashington wanted the draft of the treaty changed to drop a
\nreference about respect for \"the principles of sovereign
\nequality, territorial integrity and ... non-intervention in the
\ndomestic affairs of other states.\"<\/p>\n
The provision had been inserted in the document during a
\nmeeting of senior ASEAN diplomats ahead of next week's meeting of
\nregional foreign ministers with U.S. Secretary of State Colin
\nPowell in Brunei.<\/p>\n
\"I don't expect much of a problem, ASEAN is likely to accept
\nthe U.S. counter-proposals,\" the diplomat said.<\/p>\n
The declaration retains language supporting the United Nations
\nCharter and international law, implicitly respecting national
\nsovereignty.<\/p>\n
U.S. officials in Brunei had no immediate comment, saying the
\nmatter needed to be referred to Washington.<\/p>\n
Syed Hamid said the declaration is not as detailed as an anti-
\nterrorism accord Washington signed with Kuala Lumpur in May.<\/p>\n
\"Ours is more detailed. The one here is in general terms and
\n(has) nothing to do with putting in troops. There will not be
\nmilitary participation, but it is more of cooperation to
\nestablish efforts to combat terrorism,\" he told reporters.<\/p>\n
Powell will attend this week's meeting between ASEAN nations
\nand countries with strategic interests in the area, the ASEAN
\nRegional Forum.<\/p>\n
The annual conference will deal with its most crowded agenda
\nin years.<\/p>\n
In addition to the war against terrorism, territorial disputes
\nin the South China Sea, tensions between North and South Korea
\nfollowing a recent naval clash, and infiltration in Kashmir
\nkeeping India and Pakistan on a war footing, all loom large.<\/p>\n
ASEAN foreign ministers began arriving in Brunei Sunday ahead
\nof meetings Wednesday and Thursday with 13 other nations,
\nincluding the United States, China, India, Japan, both Koreas,
\nRussia, Australia and New Zealand.<\/p>\n
The terror threat has fueled a drive by some ASEAN members to
\ntransform the forum -- seen largely as a toothless talk shop
\nsince its inception in 1994 -- into an effective security
\ngrouping.<\/p>\n
This effort is separate from the proposed treaty with the
\nUnited States which would increase U.S. technical and financial
\naid to the region to fight terrorism. A separate statement will
\nurge nations to work to stop the flow of funds to terrorist
\norganizations.<\/p>\n
Southeast Asia has become a second front in the war on
\nterrorism, with U.S. troops helping fight Abu Sayyaf guerrillas
\nin the Philippines, and Malaysia and Singapore arresting scores
\nof alleged al-Qaeda-linked extremists accused of plotting bomb
\nattacks.<\/p>\n
ASEAN also appears ready to settle for a nonbinding accord
\nwith China on a \"code of conduct\" to prevent clashes in the South
\nChina Sea over rival territorial claims, but wants the deal to
\ncover the entire area, not just disputed island groups like the
\nSpratlys.<\/p>\n
The Spratlys, composed of islets and reefs, are believed to
\nsit atop vast undersea oil and gas deposits. China, Malaysia, the
\nPhilippines, Brunei, Vietnam and Taiwan claim the islands, wholly
\nor in part.<\/p>\n
Years of talks on the code of conduct had been going nowhere,
\nand Malaysian diplomats have proposed a nonbinding political
\ndeclaration instead of a full treaty that had little chance of
\nsuccess. China's reaction will be closely watched.<\/p>",
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